Twist
by icy3
Summary: A story with an old plot. Chapter 8 up.
1. More or less a prolouge

Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is not mine! Don't come and sue me for using this anime's characters in my fanfic!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Walking on a deserted street, a teenage girl looked at the beautiful autumn scenery. The leaves on the trees are turning yellow; some had already fallen down, all around the sidewalk she is walking on. The girl is very pretty. She had long, wavy, black hair, a pair of beautiful, charming, crystal-like green eyes, a small, rosy red mouth and pale complexion that is pinkish on her cheeks. She is slim but tall, around 178 cm tall. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks and looked at the two-storey blue house in front of her.  
  
+So it is here.+ The girl thought as she walked towards the door of the house and pressed the doorbell.  
  
Ding~ dong~  
  
The girl waited patiently, but after five minutes, no one opened the door.  
  
--  
  
Ding~ dong~  
  
The sound of the doorbell traveled around the house, causing the still sleeping Rukawa Kaede to open his eyes in a daze.  
  
+ What the hell? Why is it so noisy here?! + Rukawa thought, using his pillow to cover his ear and continue to sleep.  
  
--  
  
+ How come there is nobody answering the door?+ The girl thought, started shivering as the cold autumn wind blows.  
  
-- Ring~  
  
Rukawa is being woken up again, this time it is not the doorbell, but the alarm. He sat up on his bed and started yawning and stretching, then finally left the comfort of his bed reluctantly.  
  
Ding~ dong~  
  
Rukawa, who is halfway through brushing his teeth, jumped in surprise. Walking to the door as he continues to brush his teeth, he opened the door. To his surprise, a girl fainted right onto him.  
  
--  
  
An hour later.  
  
Opening her eyes, the girl looked around her. Everything seems to be rather blur and unfocused. As she rubbed her eyes to get her sight back to normal, she was surprised. Blinking a few times to make sure she is not dreaming, she sat up. She is no longer outside the blue two-storey house but on a bed which is in a room painted in blue. It is rather big but there are not much things in the room, other than the bed she is sitting on, there are only a desk, a chair, a closet and a laptop, which is on the desk. Suddenly, the door opened and Rukawa walked into the room.  
  
".Oh, you are awake."Rukawa said plainly, without a single expression on his face.  
  
"Thanks. If not for you." The girl started thanking Rukawa, but was interrupted.  
  
"Who are you? Why are you pressing the doorbell?" Rukawa asked coldly.  
  
".Sorry. You must be Rukawa Kaede, right? I am Asagiri Sayuri. I am your sister's friend. She rented a room to me, she asked me to give you this letter." The girl said, a little surprise, because Rukawa Yuki, Rukawa's sister, is a very friendly person, definitely not as cold as Rukawa Kaede.  
  
Rukawa took the letter from Sayuri and started reading the letter. As it is a short one, Rukawa finished reading in less than a minute. He looked at Sayuri, then started walking towards the door.  
  
"Hey! Where is my room? This room?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"This room is mine. Just pick any room you want in this house." Rukawa replied, with his back facing Sayuri.  
  
"Are you going to school? You go to Shohoku High, right?" Sayuri asked, standing up.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can I go with you? I have got some registration to do." Sayuri said, walking around Rukawa and turned to face him. They looked at each other's eyes coldly. Rukawa was slightly surprised. This is the first time he looked at a girl directly in the eyes. And what's more is that Sayuri's eyes are the most beautiful and amazing eyes he had ever seen.  
  
"Can I go with you? Because I am rather unfamiliar around here." Sayuri asked again, smiling slightly.  
  
"Okay. Up to you." Rukawa replied, then walked past Sayuri coldly. Sayuri turned around and followed Rukawa out of the house.  
  
--  
  
When Rukawa and Sayuri reached Shohoku, the bell for the start of lessons had already rung, in fact, it is supposed to be the second period already.  
  
"You are late. Aren't you afraid of being scolded by the teacher?"  
  
"Why must I be afraid?" Rukawa asked back.  
  
"Why not?" Sayuri asked back again, smiling. Rukawa glared at Sayuri coldly before turning around and walked into the school building. Sayuri watched as Rukawa walked into the school, a smile on her face.  
  
+How interesting.+ Sayuri thought as she walked into the school too.  
  
--  
  
After school, Rukawa went to the gym as usual. Normally, Rukawa will be the first to get to the gym, but today, someone else is in the gym already. As Rukawa opened the gym door, Sayuri is dribbling the ball slowly, then suddenly picking up speed, and did a smooth lay-up. The ball landed into the basket with a swish. Sayuri picked up the ball and turned around, walking towards Rukawa.  
  
"Good afternoon." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"Why are you here?" Rukawa asked, expressionlessly.  
  
"I don't have keys. How am I supposed to go home?" Sayuri asked, with a smile pasted on her face.  
  
"The key is under the carpet in front of the door." Rukawa replied.  
  
"I heard from Yuki that you play very well. Can you prove to me that she isn't lying?" Sayuri asked. Rukawa looked at Sayuri coldly, as he considered. He picked up the ball and started dribbling it, and suddenly, he jumped from the penalty shoot line towards the basket, dunking the ball with a loud bang.  
  
"Impressive slam dunk! Been practicing long?" Sayuri asked just as the door of gym opened.  
  
"Kitsune! Why are you here? Scared that you will lose to me, the tensai, so purposely came here early to practice? But, no use, because even if you train yourself ten more years, you will still lose to me! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Because I am the tensai!" Sakuragi boasted.  
  
"Do 'aho." Rukawa mumbled. What follows next is of course the fight between the two of them. Sayuri watched from aside as the two forever childish boys fight, a smile appeared on her face once again. The gym door opened again this time. Ryota, Mitsui and Ayako entered the gym.  
  
"Stop fighting! Can you hear me! I said stop fighting!" Ryota shouted. But this does not work. Ayako rolled her eyes and took out her invincible paper fan, hitting the duo squarely on the head unmercifully.  
  
"Ite!" Sakuragi exclaimed immediately. Seeing the amusing scene, Sayuri could not help it but started laughing out loud.  
  
"Who are you?" Mitsui asked, looking at Sayuri from top to bottom. Before Sayuri could reply, the door opened again. This time, it is Anzai sensei entering the gym.  
  
"Good afternoon, sensei!" Mitsui, Ryota and Ayako greeted in union.  
  
"Good afternoon, everyone." Anzai sensei said with a pleasant, kind smile on his face. Looking around the gym, his eyes landed on Sayuri and started walking towards her slowly.  
  
"Is it fun in USA?" Anzai sensei asked. Mitsui, Ryota, Ayako, Sakuragi and Rukawa all looked at Anzai sensei and Sayuri curiously.  
  
"USA is no fun. There's no Asian in the team, no one talks to me, and no one is willing to pass the ball to me. It is very boring there." Sayuri replied with a bitter smile on her face.  
  
"So you have decided to return to Japan? Have any interest in entering Shohoku's basketball team?" Anzai sensei asked kindly.  
  
"Is there a girls' team in Shohoku?"  
  
"I just received news from the school that because of the team doing well in the summer IH, they had decided to set up a girls' team."  
  
"Old man, are you sure about setting up a girls' team?" Sakuragi asked as he started pulling Anzai sensei's chin.  
  
"How disrespectful can you get?" Sayuri mumbled under her breath as she rolled her eyes in irritation.  
  
"Sakuragi Hanamichi! Do not pull Anzai sensei's chin! He is the coach!" Mitsui scolded angrily.  
  
"Mitchy, aren't you interested to know whether will there be a girls' team?" Sakuragi asked, continued to pull Anzai sensei's chin.  
  
"Sensei will not lie! Let go of sensei, his chin is made of flesh, not rubber, it's painful!" Sayuri said.  
  
"You are not him, how do you know?" Sakuragi asked, releasing Anzai sensei's chin.  
  
"Then how about I pull your chin and see whether is it painful?"  
  
"No!" Sakuragi exclaimed, backing away from Sayuri immediately.  
  
"Ho! Ho! Ho! The registration will be on tomorrow." Anzai sensei said, kindly.  
  
"Hello, I am Ayako, the team manageress." Ayako said, stretching out a hand for a handshake with Sayuri.  
  
"Hi, I am Asagiri Sayuri. Nice to meet you." Sayuri said, smiling as she shakes hands with Ayako.  
  
"You went to USA to play basketball, is that true?" Ayako asked, with great interest.  
  
"Yeah. I went there since my second year in Middle school, it's Anzai sensei who do the recommendation." Sayuri replied.  
  
"You must be a very good player then. Ah, right!" Ayako exclaimed, as she thought of something. She turned around and asked Mitsui, "Mitsui, why don't the two of you have a 1-on-1 to let us see her skills?"  
  
"1-on-1!?" Sayuri and Mitsui exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Okay?" Ayako asked.  
  
"Ho! Ho! Ho! I'd like to watch the two of you having 1-on-1." Anzai sensei said, smiling.  
  
"A.Alright then. We will attack in turns. The attacking ends if the ball is being stolen away from the one attacking by the one defending. The first to score ten points wins." Sayuri said, picking up a basketball as she says.  
  
"You attack first then." Mitsui said, preparing to defense. Sayuri dribbled the ball slowly towards Mitsui. The smiling face of Sayuri suddenly became cold and expressionless. Mitsui was a little surprised, and suddenly, Sayuri used the opportunity to get through Mitsui's defense, and did a lay- up with the speed of lightning.  
  
"She is fast!" Ryota said, surprised by Sayuri's speed.  
  
"Ha! Just a simple lay-up only, I can do it too!" Sakuragi said and started laughing.  
  
"Do 'aho." Rukawa mumbled.  
  
"What did you say, Kitsune!?" Sakuragi exclaimed. Rukawa did not reply, just continue to watch the 1-on-1. It is Mitsui's turn now to attack. Dribbling the ball, Mitsui tried to find fault in Sayuri's defense, but surprisingly, Sayuri's defense appears to be faultless and perfect! Unable to get through Sayuri's defense, Mitsui took a step back and leaped up at behind the three-pointers line and shot a perfect three pointer before Sayuri can block him. The ball went in and Mitsui scored three points.  
  
"Just another three more three pointers and I will be the winner." Mitsui said.  
  
"But I won't let you get another point." Sayuri said.  
  
"Don't be so arrogant." Mitsui said, irritated by Sayuri. Sayuri dribbled the ball with no expression on her face. She stopped suddenly, right behind the three-pointers line. Mitsui tried to block immediately, thinking that Sayuri is confirm to shoot a three pointer as a way of revenge. But he is wrong. As he rushed up to Sayuri, Sayuri used the opportunity to get past him and got to the penalty box area, jumping up and dunk the ball in. Mitsui glared at Sayuri, about to explode because of anger. Sayuri picked up the ball and threw it to Mitsui. Mitsui immediately dribbled the ball towards Sayuri.  
  
"Direct attack? Why not shoot another three-pointer?" Sakuragi asked.  
  
"Because the girl got through his defense twice, if he choose to shoot three-pointers to win, he cannot be counted as the real winner." Ryota explained.  
  
"You win means you win what. What real winner, who cares?" Sakuragi mumbled. While Sakuragi is talking to Ryota, Mitsui got past Sayuri's defense but just as he is about to do a lay-up, Sayuri stopped him.  
  
"I said I would not let you score again." Sayuri said. Mitsui clenched his fist, wanting to punch Sayuri in the face. But Anzai sensei stopped the 1- on-1.  
  
"I guess it's time to stop. Ryota, Mitsui and Ayako, I will not be here tomorrow so the three of you will have to do the registration. The three of you should discuss about what to do tomorrow. We only need 10 to 15 girls to join." Anzai sensei said.  
  
"Yes, sensei." Ryota, Mitsui and Ayako said and gathered together at one corner of the gym, starting to discuss about tomorrow.  
  
"Hi, I am tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi, the ace player of Shohoku, also known as Super Rookie and Rebound King Sakuragi Hanamichi! Just call me tensai Sakuragi will do." Sakuragi boasted, appearing in front of Sayuri suddenly.  
  
"Hi. I am Asagiri Sayuri. How many years have you been playing basketball?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I have been learning since the start of this school year! How about you?" Sakuragi asked, as if he is very great.  
  
"The start of this year?. Just a few months only.I have been playing since eight." Sayuri said.  
  
"Ha! Ha! Ha! This is the difference between tensai and commoner!" Sakuragi said, laughing.  
  
"Is that so? Well, maybe. Rukawa Kaede, how about you? When did you start playing basketball?" Sayuri asked, looking at the cold and quiet Rukawa Kaede.  
  
". Around eight years old." Rukawa replied.  
  
"See? This is the difference between tensai and commoner! Tensai no need to learn for such a long time. Only people like Kitsune need so long to learn how to play well." Sakuragi said, laughing like mad.  
  
"Seems like you are really a tensai huh? How about a 1-on-1 with me?" Sayuri asked, showing great interest.  
  
"Of course no problem!" Sakuragi said.  
  
"Well then, three balls to win. The rules same as just now." Sayuri said.  
  
"Three balls? Okay, you attack first. Don't say I didn't give you chance." Sakuragi said. Sayuri laughed and started dribbling the ball. But the arrogant Sakuragi did not prepare to defense her at all.  
  
+So arrogant, I guess it's time to teach him a lesson.+ Sayuri thought. She dribbled the ball slowly at first but suddenly got to the basket, doing a lay-up before you can say 'basketball'.  
  
"Just two more balls for me. It's your turn now." Sayuri said, picking up the ball and passing it to Sakuragi. Mitsui, Ryota, Ayako and Rukawa looked at the two of them curiously.  
  
"Sakuragi Hanamichi is doom." Ryota said. Sakuragi dribbled the ball and suddenly charged towards Sayuri. Sayuri escaped from being bumped into by Sakuragi and stole the ball.  
  
"Ah! Where's the ball?" Sakuragi exclaimed as he jumped up, wanting to the dunk the ball in but couldn't find it.  
  
"It's with me." Sayuri said, dribbling the ball and walking towards Sakuragi. "Ah! So cunning! Female fox!" Sakuragi exclaimed.  
  
"Female fox?" Sayuri mumbled, confused. Mitsui, Ryota and Ayako who are watching their 1-on-1 laughed secretly. And Rukawa just merely ignored what Sakuragi just said.  
  
"Whatever you say." Sayuri said, still confused. Suddenly, she leaped up and dunked the ball into the basket with great force.  
  
"One more ball to go. You don't seem to be that great after all, eh?" Sayuri asked, smiling. Sakuragi clenched his fist and picked up the ball, glaring at Sayuri. But Sayuri got to defense mode immediately. And her defense is not just good but totally faultless.  
  
+I will definitely win.+Sakuragi thought, trying to think of a way to score. He charged towards Sayuri again, but this time Sayuri did not escape away. Just as Sakuragi jumped to dunk the ball again, Sayuri jumped too.  
  
"You are too naïve!" Sayuri said, hitting the ball down unmercifully. Sakuragi is so furious that he is about to punch Sayuri as the door opened and Haruko walked into the gym.  
  
"Ah! Haruko! Do you know that a girls' team will be set up tomorrow!?" Sakuragi asked, excitedly.  
  
"Really?" Haruko asked, surprised.  
  
"Of course it's true. Old man just said it." Sakuragi said, smiling at Haruko.  
  
"He likes her, right?" Sayuri asked, standing beside Rukawa.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She is cute. Do you like her?" Sayuri asked, curious.  
  
"No." Rukawa replied without thinking.  
  
"So confirm? Why not give it some thoughts?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"I don't like her means I don't like her. There is no need to give it some thoughts." Rukawa replied coldly. Haruko turned and looked at Rukawa, and for the first time, she noticed the presence of Sayuri.  
  
"Ayako-san, who is she?" Haruko asked.  
  
"She is Asagiri Sayuri. Her basketball skill is very food. And it seems like she is Anzai sensei's former student. She will be joining the girls' team." Ayako replied. Haruko nodded and walked towards Sayuri with a smile on her face. Sayuri turned around just as Haruko reached her.  
  
"! . Oh, hi!" Sayuri said, rather surprised that Haruko appeared in front of her so suddenly.  
  
"Hi, I am Akagi Haruko. One of the team manageresses. Ayako-san said that you will be joining the girls' team, is that so?" Haruko asked, friendlily.  
  
"Yep. I will be joining for sure. I am Asagiri Sayuri, nice to meet you." Sayuri said, smiling, looking at the Haruko. Haruko is paralyzed. Sayuri smiled once again and walked away.  
  
+Her eyes. They are so charming.+ Haruko thought. Sayuri walked over to Anzai sensei.  
  
"Sensei, see you tomorrow." Sayuri said.  
  
"You are going home?" Anzai sensei asked, a pleasant smile on his face.  
  
"Yeah. I am tired. See you tomorrow." Sayuri said, smiling before leaving the gym. --  
  
The next day, Sayuri woke up very early to get ready for the first day of school. Just as she finished her early morning shower, the doorbell rang.  
  
Ding~ Dong~  
  
+So early. Who can it be?" Sayuri thought, walking towards the door with only a bathrobe on.  
  
Author's notes: Please review although this story sucks.^_^ 


	2. First day in school

Disclaimer: Slam Dunk does not belongs to me and that's final.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Standing outside of Rukawa's house is Haruko. She shivered a little due to nervousness, Rukawa's bag in her hands. Suddenly, the door opened. Looking at Sayuri with only a bathrobe on, Haruko is so surprised that she couldn't move.  
  
"Oh, it's you! So early. Can I help you?" Sayuri asked, looking at Haruko.  
  
"You must be here to find Rukawa Kaede, right? I think he is still sleeping. Come on in. It's cold outside." Sayuri said, pulling Haruko into the house and closed the door. She pulled Haruko into the living room and seated her on the sofa.  
  
"Why are you so quiet?" Sayuri asked. Rukawa, who is surprisingly having insomnia, got up and walked towards the lighted up living room. Sayuri heard footsteps approaching and immediately turned around, smiling at Rukawa who just entered the room.  
  
"Good morning. Haruko brought you your bag." Sayuri said, looking at Rukawa straight in the eyes. Rukawa is surprised that Sayuri is wearing only a bathrobe.  
  
"Are you sleep walking?" Sayuri asked, smiling.  
  
"Do 'aho. Where is my bag?" Rukawa asked.  
  
"Haruko. Haruko!" Sayuri called. Haruko snapped out of her daze and gave the bag to Sayuri.  
  
"Are you all right?" Sayuri asked, worried. Haruko blush and ran away without a word.  
  
+Weirdo. + Sayuri thought, giving the bag to Rukawa.  
  
"If you don't hurry up, you will be late for school. Oh, you like to walk around in your house with only your boxers on? Honestly, I am a girl, it's not very nice to just wear boxers with a girl staying in your house, you know? It's not very.you get what I mean?" Sayuri asked, amused. Rukawa looked at his body and suddenly realized that he had only his black boxers on and nothing else! His face turned red but immediately recovered and was once again expressionless.  
  
"And you like to walk around with just a bathrobe on?" Rukawa asked, coldly.  
  
"No. Of course not. I just came out from the showers when I heard the doorbell, so I just wear a bathrobe and immediately rushed to open the door. Anyway, it's not like I'm naked." Sayuri replied.  
  
"But others might get the wrong idea. This is my house."  
  
"What? You are afraid? I thought you wouldn't care. Well, if there's anyone who should be afraid, it should be me. But I think that as long as we are innocent, what others think is not important." Sayuri said, and left the living room and back to her room.  
  
--  
  
Ring~  
  
The school bell rang, signaling the start of lessons. Sayuri who just got put into class 1 10, wondered around for quite some time before she found the right classroom. Knocking the door a few times, Sayuri opened the door.  
  
"Who are you? Is there anything you are here for?" The teacher in the classroom asked.  
  
"I am a new student here, Asagiri Sayuri." Sayuri replied, handing the teacher a folder being given by the office.  
  
"A new student eh? Asagiri Sayuri, right? Well, sit right at the back beside that boy sleeping then. And help me to wake him up." The teacher ordered.  
  
"Yes, sensei." Sayuri said and walked to the back of the class, sitting beside Rukawa Kaede, the boy who is sleeping, according to the teacher. Sayuri shook Rukawa up roughly. Rukawa who hated being woken up from his sleep waved his fist towards Sayuri without opening his eyes. Sayuri dodged away from his fist and caught it, twisting it with all her might.  
  
"!" Rukawa is fully awake immediately, and was nearly about to scream in pain as he opened his eyes and glared at Sayuri coldly.  
  
"Hi." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"Do 'aho." Rukawa said, as cold as usual.  
  
"Right, listen up you girls. The registration of the newly set up girls' basketball team is today. Those who are interested, report to the gym after school." The teacher said, and then took out the textbook, ready to start the lesson.  
  
--  
  
Ring~  
  
The lunch bell rang.  
  
"Hi! I am XXX. Where did you come from?" A very friendly girl popped out in front of Sayuri and said, with a friendly smile.  
  
"I just returned to Japan from USA." Sayuri replied.  
  
"USA? Is it fun there?" The girl asked.  
  
"Quite okay. I do not have time to play there, so I am not very sure." Sayuri said.  
  
"No time? You just went there for a few days?" The girl asked with great interest and curiosity.  
  
"No. I stayed there for nearly two years. But because I went there on a sports scholarship, therefore I spent most of my time practicing." Sayuri replied.  
  
"Then you must be very good in sports! The teacher said this morning that the registration of the new girls' basketball team will be today, right? Will you go?" The girl asked.  
  
"Yes. You?" Sayuri asked, smiling.  
  
"Of course I will! In fact, all the girls in school might go too, even if not the whole school, the whole of Year 1 girls will definitely be there. Because Rukawa Kaede is in the team." The girl replied with enthusiasm.  
  
"Just because Rukawa Kaede is in the team that all of you wants to join? But he is so cold, is he really that popular?" Sayuri asked with disbelieve.  
  
"He is so good looking!" The girl said.  
  
"Oh, is that so? Excuse me, I need go to the restroom." Sayuri said and left the classroom.  
  
--  
  
Immediately after school, Sayuri went to the gym, but she is too late, there's already a large crowd of girls waiting outside the gym.  
  
"Sayuri! Asagiri Sayuri!" Ayako shouted, and before Sayuri can respond, Ayako pulled her into the gym. Straight after she is in the gym, Ayako shut the door of the gym.  
  
"It's so crowded out there!" Sayuri said.  
  
"Yeah, crowded is the word. Now we really don't know what to do." Ayako said. All of the Shohoku team is in the gym.  
  
"There's so many people, how are we going to settle down to 10-15 only?" Ryota asked.  
  
"Well, you can let ten of them in at one go. Ten girls, divided into two groups and have a match for 5 to 10 minutes, then choose those who perform quite well, if it is still more than 15, just match again, until 10-15 girls are selected." Sayuri suggested.  
  
"Good idea. I will get them to line up now." Ayako said, opening the door and close the door after she got out of the gym.  
  
--  
  
Ten minutes later.  
  
"I will throw the ball up and the two of you will jump and try to hit the ball." Ayako said. Ten girls had already get into their positions and Haruko is busy recording down their names and organizing them. All the Shohoku members sat in a row with a pen and a paper, ready to choose the girls according to their basketball skills. Ayako threw the ball up and the two girls who are suppose to be center, jumped up immediately and hit the ball down. Sayuri, who is appointed to be the referee, blow the whistle immediately.  
  
"Why? We didn't break the rules!" The girl with the ball asked.  
  
"The ball is not to be hit down until it had reached the highest point." Sayuri explained.  
  
"What kind of rule is that!? And who the hell are you? You are new in school right? Why are you in the team without having to go through a selection match like us?" The girl asked, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"She is new here but because her basketball skill is so unmistakably great that she is in the team without having to go for try-outs." Ayako explained.  
  
"But that's not fair!" The girl said.  
  
"So, you want a 1-on-1?" Sayuri asked, light-heartedly.  
  
"Yeah! Are you game?" The girl asked, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"I don't mind. If it's okay with the one in charge." Sayuri said, looking at Ryota and Mitsui and Ayako.  
  
"Well, that is okay, I guess." Ryota said.  
  
"Prove her then, Sayuri. You have my support." Ayako said, smiling.  
  
"Make it short, girl." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Well, since it's okay with them, there's no way I should back out. We will take turns to attack and the one getting three balls in wins. You start first." Sayuri said, smiling, ready to defense.  
  
"Here I come!" The girl said, dribbling the ball a little unsteadily. Sayuri ran past the girl suddenly and stole the ball.  
  
"My turn now." Sayuri said, getting to the basket before anyone can say anything else. She did a lay-up and lead with a ball.  
  
"Two more balls. Your turn now." Sayuri said, throwing the ball to the girl. The girl dribbled the ball towards the basket and once she got near the basket, she stopped dribbling, afraid of being stole away by Sayuri again. She threw it towards the basket while Sayuri just watch without trying to stop her as the ball fell without even touching the rim. Sayuri picked the ball up and went to the three-pointers line. To avoid Sayuri to score again, the girl started to block her immediately. But that does not work as Sayuri got past her defense in a second and shoot the ball in nicely, with a swish.  
  
"One more and I will win." Sayuri said, looking at the girl. The girl glared at Sayuri and started dribbling again. Sayuri, who does not want to waste anymore time, stole the ball away from the girl again and right behind the three-pointers line, Sayuri shoot the ball out. The ball traveled in mid-air towards the basket and landed in cleanly, with a swish and not touching the rim or the board at all.  
  
"I won." Sayuri said, smiling at the girl. The girl turned around and left the gym immediately.  
  
"Okay, Haruko, arrange for another girl to come in." Ayako said.  
  
"Okay. Jouto mate." Haruko said, arranging for another girl to come in.  
  
--  
  
"Alright! The last match is over." Ayako said. After watching over twenty matches, the Shohoku team is tired already.  
  
"Why are there so many girls who wanted to join the team?" Sayuri asked while helping to sort out the results.  
  
"Well, probably because of Rukawa Kaede. They want to join the team to be able to be practicing together with Rukawa and for a higher chance to talk to Rukawa." Ayako replied, busy sorting out.  
  
"Weird." Sayuri commented.  
  
"You might find it weird now. But when you start to like him, you will understand why." Ayako said, smiling.  
  
"Oh yeah, we shall see about that, but that's not possible, at least as long as I am still sane." Sayuri said, unable to agree with what Ayako said.  
  
--  
  
"Ah! Finally! We have finally chosen 12 girls!" Sayuri exclaimed, happy that she will be able to go home soon.  
  
"Good. I will go get the 12 selected girls in." Ayako said, taking the list of girls being selected and went out of the gym. By the time the 12 girls are also in the gym, it's around seven thirty already. Most of them are hungry. Just then, Anzai sensei entered the gym.  
  
"Good evening, sensei!" The team greeted the old coach.  
  
"Good evening. Is the registration done?" Anzai sensei asked.  
  
"Yes, sensei. 12 girls are selected. They are here, do you want to say a few words to them, sensei?" Ayako asked.  
  
"It's late now. All of you must be tired. Tomorrow will be the start of real practice. I might not be here everyday, so Sayuri, you will be in charge of them if I'm not here, I don't want Ayako, Haruko or Ryota to be too busy. Sayuri, I have some things to talk to you. The rest of you go home and rest." Anzai sensei said, smiling. Sayuri walked over to Anzai sensei and waited patiently for Anzai sensei to talk to her.  
  
"Are you up to being the captain of the girls' team?" Anzai sensei asked.  
  
"I guess so." Sayuri replied.  
  
"Well, the first match for the girls will be one month and a half later. It's not a long period of time, and you will need to make use of this period of time to train them from the basics. Can you do it? By being the captain, you have to be fierce at them. Will you be able to do that?" Anzai sensei asked.  
  
"If it is just teaching them the basic and training them, I guess can I do it." Sayuri replied.  
  
"Okay, that's very good. Go home and have a good rest." Anzai sensei said, smiled pleasantly at Sayuri and left the gym.  
  
--  
  
Leaving the gym, Sayuri is surprised when Haruko suddenly called out for her.  
  
"Sayuri!" Haruko shouted. Sayuri stopped in her tracks and waited for Haruko to catch up with her.  
  
"This morning. I'm sorry if I have interrupted you and Rukawa-kun." Haruko said, blushing.  
  
"This morning? Oh, right! I have been wanting to clarify that. There's nothing between Rukawa Kaede and me other than the fact that he is my landlord. You see, his sister is my friend, so when I wanted to come back to Japan, his sister offered to rent a room to me. And that's how I ended up staying with Rukawa Kaede. We are innocent. I see that you like him, eh? Do you need my help?" Sayuri asked, smiling.  
  
"You helping me?" Haruko asked in surprise.  
  
"Yeah. Why are you so surprised? Anyway, I have got no interest in him whatsoever. He is not my type." Sayuri said, smiled and walked away.  
  
--  
  
Ring~  
  
The telephone started ringing. Rukawa who is still asleep pushed the phone to the floor, but it kept on ringing. Sayuri woke up and answered the phone sleepily.  
  
"Moshi moshi?" Sayuri said.  
  
"Who are you? Why are you in Rukawa-kun's house?" A girl asked.  
  
"Rukawa-kun? Sorry, wrong number." Sayuri said and hung up to avoid problems. Yawning, she walked back to her bed.  
  
Ring~  
  
The phone rang again. Sayuri rolled her eyes and took the phone to Rukawa's room.  
  
"Wake up, Rukawa Kaede! This call is for you!" Sayuri shouted, shaking Rukawa up.  
  
". Why are you in my room?" Rukawa asked, yawning.  
  
"Just answer the phone lah, idiot!" Sayuri said impatiently, handing the phone to Rukawa.  
  
"Moshi moshi?" Rukawa said sleepily.  
  
"Kae-chan? I am Yuki, your sister. Is Sayuri in Japan yet?" The voice on the other side of the phone said.  
  
"Sister? Oh. She's here." Rukawa said, rubbing his sleepy eyes.  
  
"Good. Get her to answer the phone then." Yuki said. Rukawa handed the phone over to Sayuri who is nodding off.  
  
"Hello? Yuki?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Sayuri, are you used to living in Japan yet? Did Kae-chan bully you?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Kae-chan? Who the hell is that?" Sayuri asked. Rukawa blushed and silently cursed his sister.  
  
"Ah, Kae-chan is my brother's childhood name." Yuki said, laughing.  
  
"I thought that's a girl's name. No, he did not bully me yet." Sayuri said, looking at Rukawa with a smile on her face, totally amused.  
  
"Good. Tell Kae-chan for me that I might popped up suddenly in Japan to check on him so he better behave himself." Yuki said.  
  
"Okay. Bye." Sayuri said and hang up the phone.  
  
"Kae-chan! Your name is cute, eh? Oh, your sister said that she might popped up suddenly in Japan and warned you to behave yourself, Kae-chan." Sayuri said, stressing Rukawa's name. Rukawa blushed and covered his head under his pillow, pretending to be asleep. Sayuri smiled and looked at the clock.  
  
+It's five thirty already.+ Sayuri thought, walking out of Rukawa's room.  
  
-- Early in the morning at seven, everywhere around Kanagawa is quiet and deserted, but the basketball court is occupied already. Sayuri shoot a three-pointer and panted, for she had been practicing non-stop for the past one hour or so. Suddenly she black out, fainting in the middle of the court.  
  
Author's notes: It's going to be a very long story, probably gonna be 100 chapters. Anyway, please review, thank you! *_* 


	3. Getting into the plot

Disclaimer: . Standard disclaimer applied here.*Sigh*  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Opening her eyes, Sayuri looked around her. She sat up straight and wondered where on earth is she.  
  
"Oh, you are awake." A boy said, suddenly appearing in front of her, giving her a jump.  
  
".Who. Who are you?" Sayuri asked, looking at the boy with his hair all spiked up, feeling that he looks kind of familiar, like her ex-boyfriend.  
  
"Have you forgotten me? I am Sendoh Akira!" The boy said, smiling.  
  
"Sendoh.Ah! Why is your hair spiked up?" Sayuri asked, laughing.  
  
"You suggested me to spike it up before you went to USA, remember? Well, I spike my hair up and the result is great, therefore I spike it up ever since." Sendoh said, beaming. "I have to agree with what you say. You are definitely more good looking with your hair spiked." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks for the compliment. Why are you back in Japan? I got news from the Internet that you just got MVP award in the Girls High School Basketball Tournament in summer. Since you are doing great there, why do you want to come back here?" Sendoh asked.  
  
"MVP? So what? It's boring down there. I'm not communicating very well there with my teammates and now they are reluctant to pass the ball to me. So, since it's like that, I guess it is best for me to return to Japan. Oh, talking about basketball, are you still playing? You are much taller now! No, very much taller to be exact!" Sayuri said.  
  
"I have been practicing hard after you leave. Are you still playing basketball? After you came back to Japan?" Sendoh asked.  
  
"Of course I'm still playing. I'm in Shohoku's girls' team now." Sayuri replied.  
  
"Shohoku got a girls' team?" Sendoh asked, curious.  
  
"Yep. Just set up. The registration was done yesterday. There's a lot of girls but mostly just wanted to be in the same team as Rukawa Kaede." Sayuri said, sighing.  
  
"Rukawa Kaede? You sound like you don't really like him." Sendoh said, smiling.  
  
"He is the most irritating guy I've ever seen. He is arrogant, ignorant, cold, unsocial, the worst combination you can ever get from a guy, that is." Sayuri said.  
  
"How about me? Am I irritating?" Sendoh asked, putting on his most charming smile and started to flirt.  
  
"Enough, Akira. Don't try to 'seduce' me, no use. Oh, why am I in your house anyway?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"You fainted in the park's court. I went there to play basketball and found you unconscious there, so I carry you all the way to my house." Sendoh said, rather disappointed that his attempt failed.  
  
".I guess I will have to watch my health. I have been fainting way too often." Sayuri mumbled, looking at Sendoh from the corner of her eye.  
  
" Stop being disappointed. This is for thanking you for carrying me here." Sayuri said, giving Sendoh a quick kiss.  
  
"Just like that?" Sendoh asked, hopefully.  
  
"Right. Just like that. I'm very good to you already Akira. You better keep that pervert face of yours and go to school now. I'm leaving." Sayuri said, walking towards the door.  
  
"It's noon already. What for going to school? Lesson will be over by then." Sendoh said, hugging Sayuri from behind.  
  
"Let go of me. Even if lesson is over, I go to school is for playing basketball, so it doesn't matter. Go get someone else to flirt to. I've got to go. Bye." Sayuri said, pushing Sendoh away and opened the door.  
  
"See you later." Sendoh said, smiling.  
  
"Later? I guess it will be a long one." Sayuri said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I really mean it. See you later." Sendoh said as Sayuri left.  
  
--  
  
Arriving at Shohoku's gym, almost everyone is there already. Sayuri looked at the girls and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Most of the Shohoku team members are looking at the bunch of girls, saliva dripping off.  
  
"Sayuri, I think you better talk to them about their attire. The clothes they are wearing are not appropriate for playing basketball." Ayako said to Sayuri. Sayuri looked at the girls again and nodded.  
  
"Maybe they think they are models or maybe they just love the way boys look at them when they wear clothes like this. I guess, you should talk to the boys too." Sayuri said, looking at the boys who are looking at the girls.  
  
"I will. Oh, and actually Haruko and I had got some right sportswear for them. Take a look and give out to them, each person take three sets." Ayako said, pointing at the box beside her. Sayuri opened the box and took out a set of 'uniform' provided by Ayako. The set consists of a white cotton t- shirt with a pair of shorts.  
  
"Isn't this a little too boring?" Sayuri asked, looking at Ayako.  
  
"Well, there are red, pink, blue and black for them to choose. All are in the box." Ayako said.  
  
"Oh. Is that so?" Sayuri asked, carrying the box towards the girls. Some of the girls have the correct attire on. Putting the box down, Sayuri looked at the girls who are wearing identical tight, pink and low-cut t-shirt with a pair of shorts that is so short that they might as well don't wear one.  
  
"Hi! I am Asagiri Sayuri. Er.Actually these clothes aren't exactly very suitable for playing basketball. So, Ayako thought that it might be better if there's a standard wear for all of us. I have a box of the right kind of sportswear for practice with me here. Ayako said that each one of us take three sets. And try to wear them during practices. There are a few colours to choose from, therefore, well, take a look and pick the colours you wanted." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"Ayako? She must be envious that we have good figures to wear this and she don't." One of the girls wearing the 'hot' attire who had perfect figure said proudly.  
  
"I think she definitely have the quality to wear what you are wearing now. But that is not necessary, you see. By wearing what you are wearing will distract the boys from their practice, so it's best that you change into these clothes that are provided by the team manageress." Sayuri said, smiling pleasantly. The girl snorted and took three sets of pink t-shirt and went to change. The girls followed and amazingly as Sayuri noticed, the girls wearing the improper attire took away all the red and pink t-shirts.  
  
"Man, this is gonna be troublesome." Sayuri mumbled as she took a white, a black and a blue t-shirt for herself. When they finish changing, the practice had already started for the boys. Sayuri started the girls' practice too, with running as the start. After the few rounds round the court, some of the girls are already tired and started grumbling. The gym door opened suddenly and three people entered the gym. Everyone turned and looked at the people who had just entered the gym. Sayuri's eyes widened as she saw Sendoh amongst the three.  
  
"Aida? Why are you here?" Sakuragi asked immediately.  
  
"We are here to send an invitation for a practice match. Also, we just heard that there's a new girls' team in Shohoku and therefore our captain, and Ryonan's new girls' team's captain came too to take a look." Aida said.  
  
"Practice match shouldn't be a problem, Aida, I think you better discuss it with Ayako and Haruko and settle down on a date. And about taking a look at our new girls' team, you will have to ask Sayuri. She is the captain." Ryota said.  
  
"Sayuri? Who's that?" Aida asked.  
  
"Hi, I am Asagiri Sayuri. Nice to meet you." Sayuri said, smiling. Aida looked at Sayuri and gasped at the beautiful eyes of hers.  
  
".Hi. I am Aida Hikoichi, Ryonan's team manager." Aida said, in a daze as he looks at Sayuri.  
  
"Hi, I am Sendoh Akira, Ryonan's team captain." Sendoh said, smiling and stretched out his hand for a handshake. Sayuri shook his hand while glaring at him. As she is about to take her hand back, Sendoh held her hand tighter.  
  
"Please let go of my hand, Sendoh Akira!" Sayuri shouted, glaring at Sendoh with one of the coldest glare ever exist on earth. Everyone turned to look at them.  
  
"What if I don't?" Sendoh asked, cheekily. Sayuri glared at Sendoh and squeezed his hand with all her might.  
  
"Ite!" Sendoh exclaimed, letting go of Sayuri's hand immediately. His hand swelled up immediately.  
  
"Sendoh sempai! Are you alright?" Aida exclaimed immediately.  
  
"Don't touch my hand! It hurts!" Sendoh cried out as Aida touched his hand.  
  
"Gomenasai, Sendoh sempai!" Aida apologized.  
  
"Are you okay?" The girl captain asked, gently touching Sendoh's hand and started flirting with Sendoh. The Shohoku team watched them flirt and most of them started talking among themselves. The girls glared at the girl captain of Ryonan, as they are jealous.  
  
"I thought the few of you like Rukawa?" Sayuri asked, looking at them  
  
"But Sendoh is very good looking too." One of the girls said. Sayuri looked at them and sighed.  
  
"Will the two of you flirt somewhere else?" Rukawa asked, coldly, spinning a ball with his finger.  
  
"Oh, sorry." Sendoh said, smiling at Rukawa. Rukawa glared at him coldly.  
  
"Er.I guess we should be going back. Aida, have you settle on the date yet? Taoka sensei will kill us if we waste anymore time." Sendoh said, sensing the danger in Rukawa's glare.  
  
"Oh, okay! It's settled on next Saturday." Aida said.  
  
"Sayonara!" Sendoh said and immediately left Shohoku.  
  
--  
  
After the practice, everyone is tired. But the girls are especially tired as they are still not use to practice.  
  
"Man, she isn't the coach anyway, why does she have to train us so hard?" One of the girls groaned as they went to the changing room.  
  
"Yeah! It's not like they are that good anyway." Another girl grumbled. Ryota and Mitsui who are walking behind them heard their conversation. As they went into the boys' changing room, they started talking about what they overheard.  
  
"The girls don't seem to like Sayuri." Ryota said.  
  
"I don't like her either. I think she is too proud." Mitsui said.  
  
"Ha! The two of you are of the same kind, you know?" Ryota said, laughing.  
  
--  
  
In the gym, the only ones left are Sayuri and Rukawa. Sayuri shoot a couple of three-pointers but felt rather bored by just practicing her shooting, therefore, she walked over to Rukawa.  
  
"Hey, Rukawa Kaede! How about a 1-on-1?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Okay." Rukawa replied, looking at her.  
  
"Same rules as the two 1-on-1 yesterday. The first to get 11 points wins. Okay?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Okay. You start first." Rukawa said, throwing the ball in his hands to Sayuri. Sayuri got the ball and walked over to the three-pointers line to start her attack. She dribbled the ball slowly towards Rukawa, trying to find fault in his defense.  
  
+Quite good, eh? But there's a tiny weakness on his right.+ Sayuri thought. She planned out what she wanted to do immediately and immediately went towards the left. Rukawa went to stop her immediately but Sayuri got through from the right side instead. She did a simple lay-up and scored 2 points. Rukawa was surprised and thought about it as he picked up the ball and walked to the three-pointers line to start his attack. He dribbled the ball slowly towards the basket but Sayuri steal it away very quickly.  
  
"You are not very concentrated, are you? Sayuri asked, walking towards the three-pointers line. Just as she turned around to start her attack, Rukawa stole her ball and shoot a three pointer.  
  
"I am very concentrated." Rukawa said. Sayuri smiled as she picked the ball up. Before Rukawa can react, she too shoots a three pointer.  
  
"5 to 3. I'm still in the lead." Sayuri said, smiling. Rukawa rolled his eyes and started his attack. Sayuri started defending immediately. Rukawa looked at Sayuri and started dribbling towards her. In a brief moment, everything seems to be in a blur. Rukawa first increase the speed of his dribbling then went towards Sayuri's right, but that was a false move, as Sayuri tried to block him, Rukawa dribbled the ball between her legs and got pass through the left. But Sayuri immediately jumped to block as Rukawa leaped up to do a lay-up. Rukawa changed hand and avoided Sayuri before putting the ball into the basket lightly. The ball hit the rim and rolled around it before getting in.  
  
+Wow.Incredible.+ Sayuri thought as she picked up the ball and started to attack from the three pointers line, while still thinking about the way Rukawa attack just now.  
  
+Whew, that was close, it nearly didn't get in. Her reaction is so fast and her action, as if she did not need any time to think before she block me. Seems like I have to practice harder before going to USA. + Rukawa thought, getting ready to defense. Dribbling, Sayuri got nearer to Rukawa. Rukawa looked at Sayuri and started to lower his body, getting ready to block Sayuri.  
  
+His defense is good.+ Sayuri thought, planning how to get through his defense. In a blink of an eye, Sayuri speed up and started attacking from Rukawa's right, but was blocked immediately. Just as Rukawa tried to block her, Sayuri stopped and changed a direction and got to the basket. Rukawa rushed up immediately to block again but Sayuri got the ball through between his legs and got past Rukawa as he is in shock, got the ball back and leaped to dunk the ball. After the slight shock, Rukawa went to block Sayuri immediately. Surprised by Rukawa's speed, Sayuri was nearly unable to react. Luckily, she regained her calm and held the ball back, and threw the ball from under Rukawa's arm. The ball hit the board and bounced on the rim a couple of times before it finally went into the basket.  
  
"Your turn now. I'm still leading with two points." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"I know. But this lead will be short. I will win." Rukawa said with much confidence.  
  
--  
  
After five minutes of intense play, Rukawa and Sayuri both got ten points, but it is Rukawa's turn. Rukawa dribbled the ball cautiously and was very concentrated. Sayuri was not as concentrated though. She was hungry, because she had not eaten her lunch. As she dreamed about what food to eat, Rukawa got past Sayuri from her left and jumped up to dunk the ball in. Sayuri snapped out of her fantasy of eating and rushed up to block him. Rukawa changed his strategy immediately as Sayuri jumped to block him. He switched to lay-up and released the ball under Sayuri's arm. The ball rolled around the rim for two rounds and fell silently through the basket.  
  
"I lost. Congrats. Have you eaten your lunch yet? If not, want to eat together? I'm about to faint from hunger. I'll treat." Sayuri said, feeling extremely hungry.  
  
".Okay." Rukawa replied after considering.  
  
"Good. Do you know where is the nearest place to eat? I'm really very HUNGRY!" Sayuri said as her stomach grumbled out loud as a way of protesting. She blushed a little and picked up her bag, anxious to eat something, anything.  
  
--  
  
Getting to the fast food restaurant, Rukawa chose a table by the window. Rukawa sat down and put his bag on the seat beside him.  
  
"What do you want to eat?" Sayuri asked, putting her bag down.  
  
"Whatever." Rukawa replied.  
  
"Whatever? Alright, just don't complain if what I buy isn't what you have in mind." Sayuri said, rolled her eyes and went to queue up. Rukawa yawned and put his head on the table, having his nap again. Coincidently, Mitsui, Ryota, Ayako, Sakuragi and Haruko entered the fast food restaurant. They found a table not far from Rukawa and sat down. Just as they were discussing about what to eat, Sayuri came back with the food and walked past them without seeing them. Mitsui saw her though.  
  
"Hey, look! It's Sayuri and Rukawa!" Mitsui exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down despite his excitement.  
  
"Ah! What a surprise!" Ayako said, keeping her voice down. Ryota, Sakuragi and Haruko immediately turned around and looked at Rukawa and Sayuri.  
  
"What the. How can he sleep everywhere at any point of time?" Sayuri mumbled, putting the tray on the table and gave Rukawa a punch on the head to wake him up.  
  
"Great! But could have hit him harder!" Sakuragi said, happily.  
  
"Why are they together? It is so weird. Totally not expectable." Ryota said, scratching his head. Rukawa woke up and glared at Sayuri.  
  
"Eat your food lah! Are you a pig? How can you sleep here?" Sayuri asked, impatiently and sat down to eat.  
  
"Are you okay, Haruko?" Sakuragi asked, suddenly noticed that there are tears in Haruko's eyes.  
  
".I." Haruko mumbled, then suddenly, tears rolled down her cheeks and she stood up and ran out of the fast food restaurant.  
  
"Haruko!" Sakuragi shouted and ran out of the fast food restaurant.  
  
"Did you hear a familiar voice calling Haruko?" Sayuri asked, startled by Sakuragi's shout.  
  
"Yes." Rukawa said, continued to eat. Sayuri looked out of the window just in time to see Sakuragi running after Haruko.  
  
"Ah, Sakuragi Hanamichi is chasing after Haruko!" Sayuri said as Sakuragi and Haruko ran out of her sight.  
  
"Do you think Sakuragi will confess to her about his feelings to her?" Mitsui asked, looking at both Ryota and Ayako.  
  
"No, I don't think so. Sakuragi never seems to be embarrassed when it comes to making a fool out of himself, but when it comes to his feelings towards Haruko, he is miraculously shy." Ayako said.  
  
"Well, I agree with Aya-chan. I'm hungry, can we get something to eat?" Ryota asked, as his stomach grumbled.  
  
"Ah! I just remember I've got something else to attend to. Got to go. Enjoy your date! Bye!" Mitsui said, standing up.  
  
"We will. Bye." Ayako said as Mitsui walked away. Ryota looked at Ayako for what she had just said and blushed.  
  
Author's notes: Z.z.z. Okay, so this chap is boring, the whole story is boring. Well, please review. @_@ 


	4. Mitsui's new stepsister!

Disclaimer: Well, well, I hope Slam Dunk belongs to me, but the fact is it is not mine, it belongs to some Japanese cartoonist who is so talented to create this fabulous anime.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Turning into the street she had came across, Sayuri looked around as she walked down the street. She felt like she is walking on a messy street where black people always hang around in USA, but instead of the black teenagers seen on those streets where they hang around in USA, she saw Japanese teenagers instead. It is a very messy street, very unlike the ones you normally see in Japan. Along the street were a lot of pubs, discos and hotels. Sayuri seems to be very out of place as almost everyone on the street looked like gangsters. Some of the gangster-like teenagers stared at her as she walked past. Suddenly, a few boys around her age stopped her.  
  
"Hey, pretty girl, care to have a drink with us?" A boy who seems to be the gang's leader asked.  
  
".I'm in a hurry to go home. Please, you are blocking my way." Sayuri said politely, smiled and tried to escape but was once again blocked by the same boy.  
  
"Well, then we can skip the drink part if you are in a hurry. Let's go into the hotel straightaway then." The boy said, smiling, grabbing Sayuri's arm. Sayuri pushed that boy away and turned around to run away.  
  
--  
  
Walking down the street leading home, Mitsui got to a junction where another street met the street he is on. Turning his head, he looked down the messy street where he treated as his second home during his gangster's years. Just as he was about to walk off, he saw Sayuri running towards him with a few gangsters running after her. One of the gangsters caught up with her and the next thing he knew, Sayuri is being dragged into one of many alleys in the street.  
  
+What the.+ Mitsui thought and instinctively ran into the messy street and into the dark alley which Sayuri was dragged into. He ran deep into the alley and just as he was about to reach the dead end, he saw the gangsters, crowding around a corner.  
  
"Hey! What do you all think you are doing?!" Mitsui shouted. The gangsters turned around and looked at Mitsui.  
  
"Go away! This is none of your business!" One of the gangsters said fiercely. From the gap between them, Mitsui saw Sayuri lying against the wall, unconscious. There's a boy squatting in front of her, and seems like he had been stripping Sayuri's clothes off because Sayuri's clothes were tattered and torn. The boy squatting stood up and pushing away his friends, he walked towards Mitsui and glared at him.  
  
"Oh, it's the athletic boy. Why, is this your chick?" The boy asked him. Mitsui looked at him and realized that he is one of Tetsuo's men.  
  
"Let go of that girl!" A voice called from behind Mitsui. Mitsui turned around and looked at Tetsuo, his friend during his gangster's years.  
  
"Tetsuo." Mitsui mumbled. The boy and his friends left the alley immediately. Tetsuo looked at Sayuri and then back at Mitsui.  
  
"Don't come back to this street if you don't intend to be one of us again. Tell your girl not to come here again if she does not want to be raped. I might not be able to help you every time." Tetsuo said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks, Tetsuo." Mitsui said. Tetsuo laughed a low laugh and turned around to walk away. Mitsui watched as his old friend walked down the alley and disappeared from his sight. He turned around and wrapped his jacket around Sayuri. Carrying Sayuri in his arms, he walked home.  
  
--  
  
"Argh. My head hurts." Sayuri groaned as she gained consciousness, having a throbbing headache due to being hit unconscious by a rod. Walking into the room, Mitsui saw Sayuri is awake and put the first aid box onto the table in front of the sofa Sayuri is lying on.  
  
"You are finally awake. Don't ever go to that street again, do you understand?" Mitsui said, sitting down on another sofa and leaned forward to that table to open the first aid box.  
  
"Where am I?" Sayuri asked, sitting up and looked around the room.  
  
"You are in the living room of my house." Mitsui replied, grabbed Sayuri's hand and put some cream on her hand.  
  
"Ah, it hurts!" Sayuri exclaimed. All over her body, there were cuts and bruises.  
  
"This will teach you a lesson then. That street is not a safe one for a decent girl to go." Mitsui said, spreading the cream over the cut on her hand gently.  
  
"What happened to me?" Sayuri asked, suddenly remembered what had happened before she was knocked out. She looked at the state of her clothes and became worried all of a sudden.  
  
"Nothing happened to you. They only just started stripping your clothes off when I got there." Mitsui replied, looking at Sayuri.  
  
"Why are you there? How do you know that I am there?" Sayuri asked and started groaning in pain as Mitsui cleaned the wound on her arm a little too roughly.  
  
"I walked past that street and saw you being dragged into the alley." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"And you saved me? I thought you don't like me at all and you said that I am too proud?" Sayuri asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, I'm not wrong to say that. YOU ARE TOO PROUD." Mitsui said, annoyed.  
  
"You aren't very humble yourself. Anyway, thanks for saving me just now." Sayuri said, rolling her eyes.  
  
+ I've never seen such an irritating girl. + Mitsui thought, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
Sayuri looked at the jacket being wrapped around her shoulders, took it and started looking at the jacket closely. At the back of the jacket is Shohoku Basketball Team and it is black and red.  
  
"Is this yours?" Sayuri asked, looking at Mitsui.  
  
"Yeah." Mitsui replied, taking that jacket away from Sayuri. Shivering, Sayuri glared at Mitsui.  
  
"Can you give me a set of clothes to wear? I can't possibly walk home wearing this. It is very cold now." Sayuri said, shivering and sneezed.  
  
Standing up, Mitsui handed her his jacket before walking out of the room. As he walked towards his room, he heard the jingling of keys and the next thing he knew, he heard the opening of door. Rushing back to the living room, Mitsui grabbed Sayuri's arm and pulled her out of the living room and towards the stairs leading to his room. However, whoever that came home is walking towards the stairs too. Mitsui opened the closet under the stairs and pushed Sayuri in, just before he was spotted by whoever he is hiding from, he got into the closet and closed the door shut.  
  
"What the hell-?" Sayuri started saying but Mitsui covered her mouth with his hand immediately.  
  
"Hisashi! HISASHI!" A female voice called.  
  
"Is he at home?" A male voice asked.  
  
"Seems like he's not home yet. I guess we will have to tell him this another day. Want a cup of coffee?" The female asked, and footsteps were heard as the two person talking walked away.  
  
"What on earth are you doing?" Sayuri asked, glaring at Mitsui coldly in the dark and small closet. It is so small that there's only space for one person and with two people trying to stand in such a small space, they will have to squeeze themselves and stand as closely as they could. "We have to hide here." Mitsui replied, looking at Sayuri. Noticing how close they were, Mitsui blushed and looked at the roof of the closet to avoid looking at Sayuri so closely.  
  
"Can you tell me why must we hide here?" Sayuri asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I cannot let my mom see me." Mitsui replied.  
  
"Then can you explain why not?" Sayuri asked, getting impatient.  
  
"Because as long as I avoid her, she will not remarry. She will have to find me and tell me this news before she can get married again." Mitsui replied.  
  
"Remarry? I don't really understand what you are trying to say." Sayuri said confusedly.  
  
"My father died couple of years ago. My mom found a new boyfriend recently. I make her promise me to inform me first if she wants to remarry. Now that she's really going to marry that guy, she will have to find me first and inform me. But I don't want her to remarry, so as long as she cannot find me, she will not get married." Mitsui explained, looking at Sayuri. Sayuri nodded and looked at Mitsui. This time, both of them blushed and one looked at the floor while one continues to look at the roof.  
  
"But you can't avoid her for too long." Sayuri said, stating the obvious fact.  
  
"I know, but I hope she will give up marrying if she cannot find me after such a long time." Mitsui said, sighing.  
  
"How long must we hide here? It's really very cramp up in here." Sayuri said, feeling herself sweating.  
  
"Well. Until the man goes away and my mother goes to sleep." Mitsui replied, started sweating too.  
  
--  
  
After an hour of hiding in the closet, both Mitsui and Sayuri are tired and sweating all over. However, there's still no sign of the man leaving the house.  
  
"I don't think I can take this any longer." Sayuri said, panting heavily.  
  
"Don't pant on my neck, it's very hot." Mitsui mumbled.  
  
"I didn't do that purposely, it's too cramped here." Sayuri protested, looking at Mitsui. Feeling a little dizzy because the oxygen is definitely running low in the closet, Mitsui closed his eyes and leaned down, trying to rest. But instead, because Sayuri is really very close to him, his lips touched Sayuri's. Widening her eyes, Sayuri tried to protest but unfortunately, Mitsui is too dizzy and is almost half unconscious and that Sayuri is too tired to really protest, thus, their lips connected to each other's for quite a long while until after half an hour had past before Mitsui finally realized what he had done.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to." Mitsui said then stopped as he looked at Sayuri who had her eyes closed and apparently seems to have fallen asleep while their lips are connected.  
  
+Actually she is quite a nice girl.at least although she does not want to be in this closet, she still hide in here after I told her why. And she is really pretty.+ Mitsui thought, looking at the sleeping Sayuri. Slowly, without realizing what he is doing, he kissed Sayuri again, though this time, it's not because he had fainted. Opening her eyes, Sayuri stared at Mitsui and opened her mouth to say something. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, Mitsui started kissing her. Sayuri pushed him away and looked as though she was about to cry. Just then, the closet door opened and a stunned woman and man looked at Mitsui and Sayuri.  
  
"Hisashi." The woman mumbled. Sayuri looked at the woman and was amazed at how alike Mitsui looks like his mother. Her eyes landed on the man next. Widening her eyes with her eyeballs poking out, she stared at the man.  
  
"Father.?" Sayuri mumbled, looking at the man.  
  
"Sayuri?" The man asked, a surprised look on his face. Mitsui and his mother looked from Sayuri to that man in surprise.  
  
--  
  
Sitting down around the dinning table in the kitchen, the two adults and two teenagers looked at each other in silence. The man who Mitsui's mother is marrying happens to be Sayuri's father, who had divorced with her mother some years ago.  
  
"Er.How is your mother, Sayuri?" Mr. Asagiri asked, looking at Sayuri who is staring blankly at the floor.  
  
"She remarried to a jerk and died two years after you leave her." Sayuri replied, rolling her eyes.  
  
"You lived alone all this while? Why didn't you come and find me?" Mr. Asagiri asked, worried for his daughter.  
  
"So what if I found you? I am very happy living alone ever since mom died." Sayuri said, a hint of hatred in her voice.  
  
"But I am your father, Sayuri." Mr. Asagiri said gently.  
  
"A father who doesn't look after the daughter, a father who doesn't care about the daughter, a father who doesn't help the daughter when the daughter needs help?" Sayuri asked, glaring at her father.  
  
"Sayuri, you must understand that I do care about you." Mr. Asagiri said, sighing.  
  
"If you care, why would you divorce with mom? If you care, why didn't you come and visit me even after you divorce?" Sayuri asked. Mitsui's mother stood up and pulled Mitsui away with her, so that Sayuri and her dad can have some privacy.  
  
"Your mom divorce with me because I was bankrupt and we don't really love each other anymore. I didn't visit you because your custody is with your mom and I was not allowed to visit you. After I finally became rich again, I tried to find you but I couldn't find you anywhere. Sayuri, I really care." Mr. Asagiri said, looking at Sayuri. Tears started to form in her eyes, and beads of tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"Sayuri. Er.I think you probably know by now that I'm getting remarried.I will be very pleased if you can move into my house and have a whole family again." Mr. Asagiri said, handing her a piece of tissue.  
  
".Whatever." Sayuri mumbled, not really listening to her father.  
  
"Good, then can you move in tomorrow?" Mr. Asagiri asked.  
  
"Move in tomorrow? Move in tomorrow!" Sayuri exclaimed, finally realizing what her father is talking about.  
  
"Yeah, tomorrow. Where do you live now, I will go and help you move your things over to my house tomorrow. What colour do you like your bedroom to be?" Mr. Asagiri asked, getting excited to have his daughter moving to live with him again.  
  
"Er." Sayuri mumbled, not very sure how to react.  
  
--  
  
"Hisashi, bring your new younger sister home, will you?" Mitsui's mom asked. Mitsui rolled his eyes and opened the door. Sayuri walked out of the house and started cursing.  
  
"Argh, of all people, I have to have you as a step-brother, this world is so lousy!" Sayuri exclaimed, feeling desperate.  
  
"Having a stupid, arrogant girl as a step-sister is lousier." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oh, are you trying to imply that I'm stupid and arrogant? If so, why would you want to kiss me just now?" Sayuri asked, in a challenging tone.  
  
"Er.Well, it's very hot in the closet and I was very tired, I wasn't exactly being sane." Mitsui said, blushing.  
  
"Yeah, right." Sayuri said sarcastically, shooting Mitsui a mean look.  
  
"Where do you live now?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"Rukawa's house." Sayuri replied.  
  
"WHAT!" Mitsui exclaimed, with his eyes and mouth wide-open.  
  
"I rent a room in his house. Not sleeping with him in the same room!" Sayuri explained, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Well, I'm your step-brother now, so it doesn't matter you know, you can tell me the truth. The two of you are staying in the same room right?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"No. I don't like him at all! He is as big a jerk as you are." Sayuri said, glaring at Mitsui.  
  
"What! HOW DARE YOU! ****!" Mitsui exclaimed.  
  
"If you can't say something decent, then don't say anything, bastard." Sayuri said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Hey, you are now my younger sister, you should respect me and call me onii- san."  
  
"Yeah, right, onii-san." Sayuri mumbled, irritated. They turned around the corner and onto the street where Rukawa's house is.  
  
"Bye." Mitsui said as they reached the front door of Rukawa's house.  
  
"Bye." Sayuri mumbled, sighed and entered the house. The house is dark, without any lights on. Walking down the hallway, Sayuri turned around a corner and bumped into Rukawa Kaede because neither of them can see clearly in the dark. Sayuri landed on top of Rukawa and tried to get up but instead, tripped over Rukawa's hand and fell again, her head hitting the wall and caused her to become unconscious. Rukawa heard a loud thud as Sayuri hit the floor with her face down and began trying to see what had fallen. Feeling around, he found Sayuri's neck and grabbed around it, thinking that it was probably a broomstick. His grip was tight and this caused Sayuri to choke and started kicking around and trying to free herself from Rukawa's grip and also desperately gasping for breath.  
  
The lights suddenly went on again, and a girl stared at the two of them in surprise.  
  
Author's notes: This story is getting weirder, I guess I am becoming more insane every single day. Ah!!! This is probably going to turn out to be an insane story! %__% 


	5. Rukawa Yuki

Disclaimer: Although I don't like the truth at all, but very unfortunately for me, Slam Dunk does not belongs to me.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Ah! Kae-chan! Are you trying to kill Sayuri!!! " The girl standing in the hallway staring at the two of them exclaimed. She is very tall for a girl, standing at a height of 180 cm, she looks almost exactly like Rukawa, the only difference is that her eyes are bigger, her mouth smaller and more rosy and that she had shoulder-length hair that is neatly tied into a ponytail. Rukawa released his grip around Sayuri's neck and stood up. Sayuri coughed a few times and tried to stand up.  
  
"Kae-chan! How can you strangle Sayuri! Didn't I tell you to look after her and not bully her! " The girl shouted angrily.  
  
".Sis.Why are you here?" Rukawa asked, with a tiny surprise look on his usual expressionless face.  
  
"I am here to check on you! And lucky I came just in time! Otherwise, you would have strangled Sayuri to death! How could you do that! Oh, I can't believe that my cute, adorable younger brother turned out to be such an unmerciful, cold-blooded, vicious murderer! " The girl exclaimed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.  
  
"Yuki. I don't think he meant to kill me." Sayuri said, putting a hand on Yuki's arm, trying to calm her down. Yuki looked at Sayuri and raised her eyebrows.  
  
"He didn't mean to kill you?" Yuki asked, a surprise look on her face.  
  
"Why would I want to kill her?" Rukawa asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
+I will kill you first before I kill her. + Rukawa thought silently.  
  
"Oh. Gomenasai, Kae-chan. I'm so sorry that I accuse you for something you did not do." Yuki said, looking at Rukawa with puppy eyes, hoping Rukawa will forgive her.  
  
"Er.Yuki, who are you trying to act as now?" Sayuri asked, feeling kind of creepy for Yuki to act like this.  
  
"Ah! Is my acting that poor? I'm trying to pretend to be those traditional Japanese women." Yuki said, smiling. Both Sayuri and Rukawa looked at her and sweat drop.  
  
"Are you going to stay here for long or are you just visiting?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Well, I'm going to stay here until the end of this school year. I'm going to study in Shohoku as a senior." Yuki said.  
  
"But you are a year one student in the best university in USA!" Sayuri exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, but actually I'm of the same age as the year threes in high school. I skipped my third year of high school and went straight into university. I wanted to experience the life of a year three student now, after half a year of being one year older than my actual age." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"Oh, Yuki, before I forgot about it, I'm going to move out tomorrow." Sayuri said. Both the Rukawas looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Why?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Somehow, I met my father who I have lost contact with, and he said he is going to remarry a woman with a son bigger than me, a fellow player in Shohoku basketball team and wanted me to move into his house and live with him and the new family tomorrow." Sayuri replied, sighing.  
  
"Fellow player? Is the son you are talking about, the boy I saw walking with you to this house?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Yeah." Sayuri said.  
  
"He's very good looking! Can you introduce him to me?" Yuki exclaimed.  
  
"Good looking? I don't think so. He had a scar on his chin." Sayuri said, not agreeing with Yuki at all.  
  
"I didn't notice he had a scar. Kae-chan, do you know who that is?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Mitsui Hisashi." Rukawa replied then walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Mitsui Hisashi? Well, I think I heard his name before." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"I'm tired, goodnight. See you tomorrow morning." Sayuri said, and walked out of the living room.  
  
--  
  
The next morning.  
  
"Sayuri! Wake up!" Yuki shouted, getting into Sayuri's room. Sayuri had covered her head with a pillow.  
  
"Sayuri, your call." Yuki said, pulling that pillow away from Sayuri and handed the sleepy Sayuri the phone.  
  
"Hello?" Sayuri mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Sayuri? I am Mitsui. I think you better start packing your things now. Your father said he will be at your house at around ten and it is nine thirty now." Mitsui said.  
  
"Nine thirty? What! You should have called me earlier!" Sayuri exclaimed fully awake.  
  
"You should have wake up early! Why blame me! It's not my duty to wake you up! If not for my mother who asked me to call you, I would not have called! Just get your lazy butt out of bed and start packing!" Mitsui shouted angrily and slammed the phone down.  
  
"Bastard." Sayuri mumbled, handing the phone to Yuki who is smiling.  
  
"Your new brother?" Yuki asked.  
  
"He is a bastard! Yuki, can you help me pack? My dad is coming in half an hour." Sayuri said.  
  
"I'll definitely help. Go and wash up. You can leave your packing to me. I'm very good at that." Yuki said, smiling. Sayuri smiled and went to the bathroom.  
  
--  
  
Ding Dong ~  
  
"Coming!" Yuki shouted, running down the stairs and towards the door. She opened the door and greeted Mitsui who had pressed the doorbell with a smile.  
  
"Hi. You must be Sayuri's stepbrother, Mitsui Hisashi. I am Rukawa Yuki, Rukawa Kaede's sister. I'm sure you know Kaede, right? Come on in. Sayuri is in the kitchen." Yuki said, friendlily and pulled Mitsui into the house and towards the kitchen. When they got to the kitchen, Sayuri had just finished eating breakfast.  
  
"Oh, you are here." Sayuri said, looking at Mitsui.  
  
"Where's your luggage? Why are you still eating breakfast? Have you packed your things? Please don't waste time." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"My luggage is upstairs. Tell you what, your attitude sucks." Sayuri said as she walked past Mitsui and out of the kitchen.  
  
"Er. seems like the two of you aren't on good terms." Yuki said, kind of awkwardly.  
  
"No, we aren't. What's your name again? You said your name a little too fast for me to catch." Mitsui said, smiling politely.  
  
"Oh, sorry. My name is Rukawa Yuki. Nice to meet you." Yuki said, smiling and extended a hand for a handshake.  
  
"I am Mitsui Hisashi." Mitsui said, smiling and shook Yuki's hand.  
  
"I guess we should go and help Sayuri. She had quite a number of suitcases to carry." Yuki said, and led the way to Sayuri's room where Sayuri is busy dragging the suitcases. Mitsui picked up one of the suitcases and nearly dropped it on his foot.  
  
"What did you put inside? Stones?" Mitsui asked, dropping the suitcase on the floor.  
  
"It's not that heavy. You just don't have the strength to carry it. Just admit it, you are a weakling." Sayuri said, smiling sarcastically.  
  
"Since I'm a weakling, let's see how you will get these suitcases downstairs, alone." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes. Sayuri glared at Mitsui and tried picking up one of the suitcases.  
  
"She's your sister, you should help her." Yuki said, looking at Mitsui. Sayuri accidentally dropped the suitcase on her foot and started yelling in pain.  
  
"Ah! My foot!" Sayuri exclaimed, trying to get the suitcase off her foot.  
  
"Are you okay?" Yuki asked, helping Sayuri get the suitcase off her foot. Her foot is swollen and red and tears started rolling down because of the pain.  
  
"Sit down." Mitsui said, getting a chair for Sayuri to sit down.  
  
"I'll go get some ice to ease the pain." Yuki said, rushing out of the room.  
  
"Don't touch!" Sayuri exclaimed as Mitsui touched the swollen toes.  
  
"Is it really that painful?" Mitsui asked, gently touching Sayuri's swollen foot.  
  
"If it's not painful, why don't you drop the suitcase on your foot too?" Sayuri asked, rolling her eyes. Yuki ran back into the room with a basin of ice. Grabbing a towel, Yuki wrapped some ice with it and gently nursing over Sayuri's swollen foot. Mitsui watched as Yuki took on the role of being a nurse and raise an eyebrow.  
  
"Sayuri, look at her, you should learn a great deal from her on how to be like a girl." Mitsui said.  
  
"I am a girl! In case your eyes are blind!" Sayuri shouted, glaring at Mitsui.  
  
"I know you are one. Just that you don't act like one. A girl should be gentle, kind, polite, caring and etc. You have got none of these qualities, have you?" Mitsui asked  
  
"Ah!" Mitsui exclaimed as Sayuri kicked him at the private part.  
  
"Sayuri!" Yuki exclaimed, shaking her head.  
  
"Serve him right." Sayuri said, sticking out her tongue at Mitsui. Mitsui, who is wincing in pain, glared at Sayuri and tried to bite her tongue off.  
  
"Ah!" Sayuri exclaimed as Mitsui managed to bite on her tongue. Rukawa, who was woken up by the din entered the room and separated Mitsui and Sayuri before any one of them can hurt the other again.  
  
--  
  
The next day, at class 3/3  
  
"Hey Mitsui! Heard that you have a babe as your stepsister! Can you help introduce her to me?" One of Mitsui's classmates said, smiling.  
  
"Babe?" Mitsui asked, looking at his classmate with a confused expression.  
  
"Your stepsister, Asagiri Sayuri is one of the prettiest girls in year 1. Don't you know that?" Another classmate said.  
  
"Pretty? Is that so, I never notice she is pretty, all I know is that her attitude is bad." Mitsui said.  
  
"Whose attitude could be worst than yours?" His classmate asked cheekily.  
  
"What! You bloody moron!" Mitsui exclaimed, clenching his fist.  
  
"Class! Settle down please!!!" The sensei shouted as he entered. The class reluctantly settled down and started taking out their books.  
  
"Mitsui, look, a hot babe." Mitsui's classmate whispered to him, pointing to the girl who entered the classroom behind the teacher. Mitsui looked at the girl and widened his eyes as Yuki, who happens to be the new girl wink at him and smiled.  
  
"Hey, do you know her? She winked at you!" His classmate said.  
  
"Class, we have a newcomer today. She is Rukawa Yuki, just transferred to Shohoku from USA. Please be kind to her, at least for her first day. Yuki, sit at that vacant seat over there." The sensei said, pointing at the vacant seat beside Mitsui.  
  
"Rukawa Yuki? She is that arrogant year 1's sister?" Mitsui's classmate asked.  
  
"I hope you don't mean to say my brother is a detestable, arrogant boy." Yuki said, popping up from behind them.  
  
"No! Of course not! I am XXX. How about I take you tour around the school at lunchtime today just so that you can be more familiar with the surrounding?" The boy said, smiling.  
  
"No thanks. I appreciate you offer, but I've got a very good friend in Shohoku to show me around the school. Even if I can't get her to tour around the school with me, I guess, I can always depend on my brother." Yuki said, smiling and sat down beside Mitsui.  
  
--  
  
"Yuki, come on, let me take you tour around the school. Your friend probably forgot about you." The XXX guy said, pleading Yuki for the nth time.  
  
"If she is not coming in five minutes, I'll just have to go to the rooftop to find my brother." Yuki said, smiling, rejecting the pathetic boy yet again.  
  
"Who are you waiting for? Sayuri?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"Yeah. She called me up last night." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"Oh, so you are the one she is calling. My mom thought she had got herself a boy." Mitsui said, laughing dryly.  
  
"You sound like no one will like her." Yuki said.  
  
"Well, no one will like such an arrogant, impolite and idiotic girl for sure, unless of course, that person is blind and deaf." Mitsui said.  
  
"She is not that bad. What if she hears you, that's very hurting and insulting." Yuki said, shaking her head.  
  
"I don't care if she hears me or not. Ah!" Mitsui exclaimed, as someone's arm coil around his neck, jerking very hard, trying to strangle him.  
  
"Sayuri! Let go of him!" Yuki exclaimed, trying to free Mitsui. Sayuri let go of Mitsui and smiled at her friend.  
  
"He deserves it." Sayuri said, shooting Mitsui who is choking a look.  
  
"What I say is true. Bimbo." Mitsui said, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"Mitsui, how can you say that to such a beautiful lady?" The XXX boy said then grinned at Sayuri.  
  
"Hi. I'm XXX. You are Asagiri Sayuri, right?" The XXX boy asked, trying to catch Sayuri's attention.  
  
"I've got no interest in knowing who you are." Sayuri said, glaring at the boy.  
  
"See, she will never get herself a boyfriend." Mitsui said, looking at Yuki.  
  
"Oh yeah? Tell you what; no girl on earth will like you because you are the lousiest person in the entire universe! You suck big time! You have got the ugliest look, the worst personality, the lousiest attitude and no respect and manners at all!" Sayuri shouted straight into Mitsui's face. Everyone in that classroom turned to look at them.  
  
"Well, you aren't the greatest and you have no right to scold me because I am older than you! Plus, you are no better yourself. You are the ugliest girl I've ever lay my eyes on! You are arrogant! You are rude! You are stupid! You are the biggest idiot in the whole wide world! You say I am ugly, why not look at yourself? You call yourself a girl? You are flat! You say my personality sucks? How about you? Half girl half boy! And your attitude is the worst I have ever seen! Proud! Arrogant!" Mitsui shouted back and the two of them started glaring at each other.  
  
"Hey, calm down the two of you. You are siblings, you shouldn't quarrel like that." Yuki said.  
  
"You mean STEP-sibling. Anyway, I don't want to have a stupid idiot bastard as a step-brother." Sayuri said, then glared at Mitsui coldly.  
  
"I am forced to have a bitch as a step-sister!" Mitsui exclaimed, looked at Yuki then back at glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"WILL THE TWO OF YOU STOP ACTING LIKE LITTLE KIDS! THIS IS SO CHILDISH!" Yuki shouted at the top of her lungs, her face flushing red.  
  
"What's all these din? The three of you, to the staff room NOW!" A sensei popped into the classroom and shouted at Sayuri, Yuki and Mitsui.  
  
"It's all your fault." Mitsui hissed at Sayuri before leaving the classroom with an expression that look like he had just been made to eat shit.  
  
"What the-" Sayuri started saying but was shut up by Yuki's glare. The two of them walked out of the classroom behind Mitsui with the same expression Mitsui wears.  
  
--  
  
At the office.  
  
"The school is a place where students study. It should be a quiet place so that it is a conducive place to study. I am very disappointed with the three of you because you had made such a din that I could hear you right here in the staff room." The sensei said.  
  
+The staff room is right beside our class.+ Mitsui thought, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Now I want to hear a logical explanation on what happened." The sensei said, looking at the three of them.  
  
"Nothing much happened sensei. We are just chatting." Mitsui said, smiling.  
  
"Chatting shouldn't be that loud. Normal chatting should be around 60 dB. The noise level the three of you produced is around a 100 dB." The sensei, who, happened to be a Science teacher, said.  
  
".Sensei, we are just discussing something and we got a little too involved in the discussion that we didn't notice the loudness of sound we create." Sayuri said, smiling and looking at the teacher with pleading eyes.  
  
"But I heard bastard, bitch and a lot of other insulting words. Now that is not supposed to be in a discussion, right? At least a decent discussion should not involve those words." The sensei said.  
  
"Actually sensei, the two of them are having a very tough time now. You see; we are having our puberty now. Which means that our hormones get a little weird once in a while. And as it happens to be, Sayuri and Mitsui were just being told that they are going to be stepsiblings and they are supposed to live under the same roof. It's tough for anyone when they are being told that, and it is even more harsh for teenagers who are going through the phrase of puberty. So, the two of them aren't happy about the idea of being siblings, thus, they started bickering and the bickering gets a little out of hand, you see. And I shouted too because I'm trying to calm the both of them down." Yuki said, with a smile on her face. Both Sayuri and Mitsui looked at Yuki with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Oh, is that so? Well then, I will forgive the three of you this time. Now, go back to your class, lessons are about to start." The sensei said, with an understanding smile on his face. The three teens heaved a sigh of relief and walked out of the staff room with a relieve expression on their faces.  
  
--  
  
In the gym.  
  
"Ansai sensei? Good afternoon, sensei." Mitsui and Ryota who entered the gym first greeted the wise old man. They were very surprised to see Ansai sensei in the gym so early. The team started to come into the gym and all of them were surprised too. Within five minutes, every single one on the team is in the gym and gathered around Ansai sensei. Ansai sensei did not say much, but nevertheless, the wise old man had a friendly smile on his face. The gym door opened suddenly, Anzai sensei turned around to look at the intruder and stood up with a broad wide grin on his face.  
  
The intruder is Rukawa Yuki.  
  
Author's note: This story is getting more and more stupid. Sorry if there's any grammar or spelling mistakes, my English is not good, in fact, I seldom pass this subject. sigh 


	6. Engagement!

Disclaimer: Okay, so Slam Dunk does not belongs to me! Understand? It does not belong to me!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Good afternoon, Anzai sensei." Yuki said, with a smile on her face. Sayuri, Mitsui and Rukawa looked at Yuki with a confused look. The rest of the team looked at her with a VERY confused look.  
  
"Team, Rukawa Yuki here, will be our new member in the team. She will not only be a player but also, a coach for the girls' team." Anzai sensei said, smiling.  
  
"Uh-oh." Sayuri mumbled, with an expression that seems to say 'I'm going to die'.  
  
"Anzai sensei.?" Ryota started saying but stopped when he can't think of much to say.  
  
"Er. I guess I should do a little introduction about myself. I am Rukawa Yuki, Rukawa's sister, so to speak. I just got transferred here from USA, a university in USA, to be exact. I was in the WNBA before I come here." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"Yuki is a very good and talented player and had very kindly agreed to take the girls' training. I trust that she will be as good a player as a coach and she will also be playing in the team. Sayuri will still be the captain because I don't want to put too much pressure on Yuki and Sayuri is doing a very good job as a captain." Anzai sensei said, smiling. The team nodded and started their training. The girls sat down and waited as Yuki started her prep talk.  
  
"Well, I am Rukawa Yuki. And I am going to be your coach. First thing I have to say or rather warn you girls is that, I am a very strict person. I take basics very seriously. If you find the training tough, then I suggest you quit. But of course, I don't like to see you girls quitting, and I do hope that all of you can reach the standard I set. Now, you may call me Yuki, Yuki-san, Yuki-chan, even, I don't really care but I expect some basic respect from all of you when we are here practicing. Outside, we can all let this formal thing down and we can be friends. However, I don't like being asked about my younger brother, Rukawa Kaede. So don't anyone of you even try to ask me what he likes and etc. Okay, let's start with the practice now." Yuki said, signaling the girls to get up.  
  
"Follow me, we will run around the court for 50 rounds as warm up." Yuki said and started jogging. The girls groaned and started jogging behind Yuki.  
  
--  
  
After ten rounds.  
  
"Come on, run!" Sayuri shouted, looking behind her at the girls who are slowing down to a walk.  
  
"Hey! Run! Those of you who don't finish the 50 rounds in another half an hour are going to get harsher trainings from me!" Yuki shouted, totally opposite from the sweet, kind girl she is normally. Sayuri shake her head a little and picked up her speed. 30 minutes is not a short time, but then it's not long enough for her to run so slowly.  
  
--  
  
Fifteen minutes passed.  
  
Panting a little, Sayuri just finished her 50 rounds. Yuki had finished hers too and is now chasing after the girls who are walking their 30th round.  
  
"Have you finished your 50 rounds, Sayuri?" Yuki shouted, suddenly noticed that Sayuri had stopped running.  
  
"Hai!" Sayuri shouted.  
  
"Then will you please come and help me get these girls run?" Yuki asked, running past Sayuri.  
  
"Oh. Okay." Sayuri mumbled, and started chasing after those girls who are still walking. She pushed them to get them run. After yet another fifteen minutes, the girls finally finished their 50 rounds. Sayuri had finished what seems like double their rounds. Tired, Sayuri panted and was about to faint when Yuki cleared her throat again.  
  
"Line up along this line now!" Yuki shouted. The girls reluctantly lined up.  
  
"Frog jump all the way to that line over there!" Yuki shouted, pointing to the line furthest away from the line they are on. The girls started groaning. Yuki gave no sigh of mercy and blew her whistle. Squatting down, Sayuri started frog jumping. One by one the girls started frog jumping. Right after frog jumping, they were made to do many other basics movement or physical training things. The boys watched the way Yuki train the girls and can't help but felt that they were very lucky that Ryota don't make them do such tiring things.  
  
"She is so tough on them." Ryota said, looking at the girls.  
  
"But she doesn't seems to be such a fierce person in class." Mitsui said, thoughtfully.  
  
"She is in your class?" Ryota asked, looking at Mitsui.  
  
"Yeah. Sitting right next to me." Mitsui replied.  
  
--  
  
The practice for the boys ended at seven. But although the boys' training had ended, Yuki did not stop the girls' practice. They were made to pass the ball to each other while running on the court.  
  
"Faster!" Yuki shouted as most of the girls are running very slowly or passed very weak passes due to tireness. The boys had all seated down along the court to watch the way Yuki train the girls. The only one who had got no interest in how Yuki train the girls is Rukawa, who is practicing on his own.  
  
"She's so tough on the girls. Sayuri wasn't even a quarter as tough as her." Ryota commented.  
  
"Well, the girls are weak in their basics and stamina, but that doesn't mean she has to put them through such a harsh training." Ayako said, shaking her head.  
  
"Her training is even tougher than Akagi's." Mitsui said, swallowing down his saliva as he thought the type of training Akagi gives.  
  
"Talking about Gori, where is he now? In the zoo?" Sakuragi asked, laughing non-stop.  
  
"No. Onii-san is studying very hard now. He said that he would drop by some day when he is free to check on the progress of the training." Haruko said, smiling.  
  
"Haruko-san." Sakuragi mumbled, his eyes turned into little hearts. Sayuri looked at the girls who are all so tired and then at Yuki who is still busy shouting commands. Shaking her head, she walked over to Yuki.  
  
"Coach, I think it's time to end the practice. Everyone is tired now." Sayuri said, looking at Yuki.  
  
"Is that so? But I don't think this training is enough." Yuki said, looking at Sayuri coldly, even colder than the coldest of Rukawa Kaede's glare.  
  
"They are not used to this type of training and they are beginners, coach." Sayuri said, trying to smile.  
  
"That's not an excuse. It just means that I should give them harder training to get them used to this type of training. And I don't like others telling me what to do." Yuki said, giving Sayuri a very cold smile before ordering her to run around the court for 20 times in five minutes as a punishment for saying too much. Sayuri sighed and started running at the top speed, without a trace of tireness despite the hard training.  
  
"She is running very fast for someone who had such a tough training." Ryota said, rather surprised.  
  
"Her stamina seems to be very good." Mitsui said, watching Sayuri run.  
  
"Ah, Micchy, she is now your step-sister right?" Sakuragi suddenly asked.  
  
"? How do you know?" Mitsui asked, rather surprised by the sudden question.  
  
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Because I'm a tensai, that's why! Heard that the two of you shouted at each other and got dragged into the staff room!" Sakuragi said, laughing.  
  
"Sayuri is your step-sister?" Ryota, Ayako, Haruko and almost everyone else asked.  
  
"Uh-huh. I know this just a couple of days ago." Mitsui said, sighing, recalling what had happened when the closet door opened and the kiss. He snapped out of his thoughts immediately when he thought of the kiss, his face blushing red.  
  
"Mitsui, are you okay? Your face is so red, it puts Sakuragi's hair to shame." Ryota said. Sakuragi glared at Ryota and gave him a head butt.  
  
--  
  
Another hour passed, the boys are falling asleep because of tireness. The girls are so tired now that they could hardly walk or move.  
  
"Okay! The practice when end now!" Yuki shouted, which brought the tired girls back to their senses. They heaved a sigh of relief and started walking towards the changing room. Sayuri picked up the balls and started cleaning up. Seeing Sayuri cleaning up alone, Ayako used her paper fan to hit the boys and make them help Sayuri. Yuki had disappeared. After the cleaning, Yuki reappeared in a clean set of clothes, with a very pleasant smile on her face, totally different from the fierce look she had when she is taking the girls for training.  
  
"Hello everyone." Yuki said, smiling sweetly at them, which caused a lot of raised eyebrows. Looking at the surprised expression of the others, Sayuri smiled and shake her head.  
  
"Yuki has got multi-personalities. She is normally very friendly." Sayuri said.  
  
"I don't understand. How can someone have different personality?" Ryota asked.  
  
"I just act differently in different circumstances. I don't know why I have got multi-personality." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"Can you tell us how many different personalities you have, so that we can mentally prepare for your multi-personality?" Mitsui asked, looking at Yuki.  
  
"I don't really know the different personalities I've got." Yuki replied, wearing her ever-sweet smile. Sayuri yawned and walked towards the changing room. Seeing Sayuri leave the gym, Mitsui stood up and started walking towards the changing room too. He is supposed to escort Sayuri home according to his mom.  
  
--  
  
"What are you doing standing here?" Sayuri asked, when she saw Mitsui standing outside the girls' changing room.  
  
"Waiting for you, idiot." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes. Sayuri glared at Mitsui for a while before walking past him, as if he does not exist. Clenching his fist to calm himself down, Mitsui followed Sayuri out of the school building.  
  
--  
  
When the two of them got back home, they are shocked to find the house empty, without a single furniture.  
  
"Burglar!" The two of them shouted in union.  
  
"Ah! Finally found the two of you! Kids, we are moving to a much bigger house. All the renovating of the new house is done today, so your mother and I thought that might as well move there today because there will be a housewarming party tomorrow night. The two of you seems to be in a shock, sorry, I should have told the two of you." Mr. Asagiri said, smiling. Sayuri and Mitsui looked at each other still with their surprised look on their face and started laughing at each other's hilarious expression.  
  
"? Let's go, kids. I will drive the two of you to the new house. I'm sure both of you will love it!" Mr. Asagiri said, with a grin on his face.  
  
--  
  
"Okay, we arrived at our destination!" Mr. Asagiri beaming as he looked out of the window. Sayuri and Mitsui both rolled down the window of the limo and looked at the enormous mansion in front of them.  
  
The mansion is huge and grand, painted in a creamy white and framed with a pale yellow, looking like one of those five-star hotels' front. The pair of front door of the house is at least twice the height and the size of a normal door of a considerably big cottage and the door is golden framed and painted white too like the rest of the mansion. The windows of the mansion are similar to the front door too, big, painted white and golden framed. In front of the mansion is a very beautiful Victoria style water fountain and a large garden that is filled with little beds of flowers of different colours and stone-made pathways on the neatly trimmed green grass.  
  
The thing that caught Mitsui and Sayuri's attention is however, not the grandness of the mansion but the basketball court built specially for them at one corner of the beautiful garden.  
  
"This house is beautiful, isn't it so? Do you like the look of your new house, kids?" Mr. Asagiri asked.  
  
"There's a basketball court!" Mitsui and Sayuri said at the same time, totally ignoring the grand and beautiful mansion as well as Mr. Asagiri.  
  
"Yes, there's a basketball court. Your mother and I thought that since the two of you love playing basketball so much, it's best that the two of you can play it here then having to such for a basketball nearby that is vacant to practice. The nearest court around here is around 2km away." Mr. Asagiri said, smiling.  
  
+Mother? What the hell? That woman is NOT my mother! + Sayuri thought as she listened to what her father is saying. Mitsui had realized that too and glance at Sayuri who had clenched her hands into balls.  
  
"Er.Just now you said that there will be a housewarming party right?" Mitsui asked, changing the subject and put his hand on Sayuri's fist. Sayuri looked at him and tried to calm herself down.  
  
"Oh, it will be held here tomorrow night. The two of you have to be home earlier. I will get the chauffeur to pick the two of you up." Mr. Asagiri said as the limo pulled to a stop.  
  
--  
  
At Rukawa's house  
  
Ding Dong~  
  
"Kae-chan, go get the door please, I'm taking a shower!" Yuki shouted from the bathroom. Rukawa who is in the middle of his dinner stood up and walked towards the door. Opening the door, he got a shock as a fat old lady hugged him tightly.  
  
"Young master, how have you been? Where's young miss?" The old lady, who happens to be Rukawa's nanny back when he was a kid, said and released him from the hug.  
  
"In the bathroom." Rukawa replied, still not yet recovered from the shock his nanny gave him.  
  
"Who's the one pressing the doorbell, Kae-chan?" Yuki shouted as she got out of the bathroom and walked towards of the door. At the first sight of the nanny, both of them hugged each other, for a very long time.  
  
"Why are you here, nanny?" Yuki asked, after a very long hug.  
  
"I'm here because Master asked me to come here to inform both of you of a party held tomorrow night." The nanny said.  
  
"What party is that?" Yuki asked.  
  
"A housewarming party and an engagement announcement party." The nanny said.  
  
"Who is getting engaged? And why must you inform us this?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Both of you must be present at that party because the one getting engaged is Young master." The nanny said, looking at Rukawa. Rukawa glared at the nanny with a shocked expression while Yuki had her jaw dropped onto the floor.  
  
"Kaede is getting engaged? With whom?" Yuki asked after she got over the shock.  
  
"A young lady named Asagiri Sayuri." The nanny said.  
  
"Sayuri!" Yuki exclaimed.  
  
--  
  
"WHAT! AM I GETTING THIS PIECE OF INFO RIGHT? I AM GETTING ENGAGED WITH RUKAWA KAEDE!" Sayuri shouted at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Calm down, Sayuri." Mr. Asagiri said, trying to calm his daughter down.  
  
"I don't think she will ever be able to calm down. It's a little too surprising." Mitsui commented, rather surprised too. Sayuri glared at Mitsui.  
  
"WHY MUST I BE ENGAGED WITH THAT IDIOT?" Sayuri asked, furiously.  
  
"It is a promise between me and his dad some years ago." Mr. Asagiri said. Sayuri glared at her dad and ran back to her room.  
  
"Hisashi, can you look after your sis while your dad and I talk?" Mitsui's mom asked. Mitsui nodded and went to Sayuri's room reluctantly.  
  
--  
  
"Sayuri, calm down." Mitsui said upon entering Sayuri's room.  
  
"How can I calm down?" Sayuri asked, throwing her pillow towards Mitsui.  
  
"Hey! It's not my fault that you are engaged with Rukawa!" Mitsui exclaimed; ducking to avoid being hit straight in the face by Sayuri's pillow. Sayuri glared at him before started throwing everything she can see against the wall.  
  
"Calm down man!" Mitsui said as he walked towards Sayuri while ducking around to avoid being hit by the things Sayuri is throwing around.  
  
"Stop throwing! It won't solve the problem!" Mitsui shouted. He grabbed Sayuri's arms to stop her from getting her hands on things and started throwing them around like a mad woman.  
  
"Let go of me!" Sayuri shouted, struggling to shake off Mitsui's grip.  
  
"Listen to me! You can't solve this problem by throwing things around, you idiot!" Mitsui shouted, grabbing Sayuri's hand even harder. Sayuri glared at him while trying to calm herself down. Mitsui released his grip on her hands, picked up a chair being thrown over the room by Sayuri and sat down.  
  
"Tomorrow morning, go to Rukawa's house and talk to him." Mitsui said.  
  
"WHAT!!!" Sayuri exclaimed.  
  
"The two of you must work together to get this problem solved." Mitsui said calmly.  
  
"I don't want to talk to him!" Sayuri shouted before breaking down and started to cry. Mitsui widened his eyes as he watched Sayuri's sudden breakdown.  
  
+What the hell? + Mitsui thought, not knowing what to do. He looked at his feet and a photo album caught his eyes. Picking up the photo album, Mitsui started flipping through it. In the album, most of the pictures are of Sayuri, at the age of seven or eight and her parents or with a boy somewhere around her age. On the last page of the photo album, there's a photo not slotted in and it fell onto the floor. Closing the photo album and picked that fallen photograph up, Mitsui is astonished to see a Sayuri of around thirteen kissing a spiky hair boy that looks just like Sendoh Akira, only of a younger version.  
  
"Who is this boy? He looks like Ryonan's captain, Sendoh Akira." Mitsui said, walking over to the sobbing Sayuri and show her the photo. Sayuri looked at the photo and her expression changed into one that seems to be confused whether or not she should cry or laugh.  
  
"This is Sendoh Akira, couple of years ago. The little boy in all these photos is Sendoh Akira too." Sayuri said.  
  
"Huh?" Mitsui asked, very confused.  
  
"He is my best friend. AND my ex-boyfriend." Sayuri said.  
  
"What?" Mitsui exclaimed at the word ex-boyfriend.  
  
"He was my boyfriend before I went to USA." Sayuri said, and waited for a while for this piece of information to seep through Mitsui's mind. Mitsui looked at the photo of Sendoh and Sayuri together and looked at Sayuri with a surprised look.  
  
"Can we get back to the problem now? I really don't want to get engage with that icy cold idiot." Sayuri said, sighing. She had calmed down quite a lot but still she can't resist the urge to tear things apart.  
  
"There's nothing much we can do to call this engagement off, I think. Maybe you can try talking to Rukawa Kaede. He might be able to solve this problem.  
  
Author's notes: What will happen next? Any ideas or suggestions? 


	7. The engagement party

Disclaimer: How I wish I own Slam Dunk. But the truth is, I DON'T OWN IT! Please do not sue me because I had said it for nth times already that I DO NOT OWN SLAM DUNK!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The following morning came. Sayuri got out of bed and sighed. She had tried very hard to sleep last night, but she kept having nightmares about being engaged with Rukawa Kaede, and ended up marrying him. In the nightmares, she is suffering, trying to take care of a dozen kitsune while Rukawa Kaede sleep and drool all over the place. Shaking away the thoughts, Sayuri yawned and walked into the bathroom.  
  
Looking at the image of herself in the mirror, Sayuri sighed as she turned on the tap and started splashing water onto her face to keep herself awake. Her long black hair, which is usually smooth and beautiful, is sticking out in all directions, her crystal-like green eyes which could attract almost everyone's attention is looking lifeless and dull, with red shots because she had not slept well the previous night and around her eyes, there are dark rings.  
  
--  
  
Knock  
  
"Sayuri! Have you woken up? It's nearly time for school!" Mrs. Mitsui shouted, knocking on Sayuri's bedroom door a couple of times before opening it and entering. Sayuri had changed into her school uniform and managed to comb her hair back to its normal state and tied it into a ponytail.  
  
"I'm ready." Sayuri said, smiling.  
  
"Go down for breakfast then. I'm going to wake up Hisashi now." Mrs. Mitsui said, smiling sweetly at Sayuri before leaving the room in a hurry to go to wake her son up. The smile on Sayuri's face vanished and a worried look cast on her face. She got out of her room while thinking hard on how she can call this thing off and bumped straight into his father.  
  
Bam!  
  
"Ite!" Sayuri exclaimed, falling on her backside.  
  
"Watch where you are going Sayuri dear. Oh, remember to be back by seven tonight, okay? You do remember that there's a party today, don't you?" Mr. Asagiri asked.  
  
"I know, dad." Sayuri said, standing up and fake a smile before walking towards the dinning room to eat her breakfast.  
  
--  
  
"Good morning, Sayuri." Mitsui mumbled as he entered the big dinning room with a long rectangular dinning table and sat down beside Sayuri.  
  
"Morning." Sayuri said, glancing at Mitsui for a brief second before looking back at her breakfast.  
  
"Argh! Mom just showed me the suit I have to wear this evening, it's simply too formal for my taste!" Mitsui complained before stuffing his mouth with food.  
  
"I think maybe I should run away from this home." Sayuri said, sighing. She had not touched her food at all. Mitsui looked at her and shake his head.  
  
"It's only an engagement. You might not even end up marrying him." Mitsui said.  
  
"What if I have to marry him in the end?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"You can always divorce. At least that's what always happens in the TV dramas." Mitsui said, smiling.  
  
"TV dramas are not reliable. This is the real world, this is reality, not some stupid TV soap operas!" Sayuri exclaimed, frowning at Mitsui. Just then, the door of the dinning room opened and Mr. Asagiri and the NEW Mrs. Asagiri entered. Mrs. Asagiri beamed and sat down beside Mr. Asagiri, at the other end of the long table. Sayuri's smiled vanished once again as she stood up, ready to go to school. Mitsui finished up his last bit of breakfast and stood up too.  
  
"Oh, the chauffeur should be waiting for the two of you now, I guess. Be sure to come back by seven! The chauffeur will be waiting outside your school gates to pick the two of you up!" Mr. Asagiri shouted across the big dinning room as the two teenagers leave the room.  
  
"We will be late for school today." Mitsui said, looking at his watch.  
  
"We won't be late." Sayuri said as the servants opened the big door for them. Parked in front of them is a limo, the chauffeur got out of the limo and opened the door of the limo for them to get in.  
  
"Man, I can't believe this. We are actually going to go to school in a limo?" Mitsui asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, we won't be late this way." Sayuri said, getting into the limo.  
  
--  
  
The limo stopped right in front of Shohoku's front gate. Sayuri who had fell asleep finally since last night, woke up with a surprise expression on her face because she had totally forgotten that she is on a limo on her way to school. The chauffeur got out of the limo and opened the door for them. Mitsui got out first. Carrying her bag, Sayuri got out of the limo too. Every student at the front gate is staring at them as if they are some kind of alien.  
  
Just as Sayuri walked through the front gate, ignoring the stares of others, a bike screeched to a stop beside her. Rukawa Kaede, who surprisingly did not fall asleep on his bike glared at her.  
  
"Meet me up at the rooftop in ten minutes." Rukawa Kaede said before cycling away. Sayuri glared at him as he cycled out of her sight.  
  
"What does he want, Sayuri?" Mitsui asked, looking at Sayuri.  
  
"Meet him at the rooftop in ten minutes." Sayuri replied, walking into the school building and ran towards the stairs leading to the rooftop.  
  
Running up the stairs, Sayuri reached the rooftop and opened the door. Rukawa is sitting in one corner, waiting for her.  
  
"Why did you ask me to come up here?" Sayuri asked, walking over to Rukawa Kaede.  
  
"Have you heard about us being engaged?" Rukawa asked, standing up.  
  
"Uh huh, I've received the news from my dad last night." Sayuri said, looking coldly at Rukawa.  
  
"I don't want you to be my fiancée." Rukawa said, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"You make it sound like I'm willing to." Sayuri said, the two of them glared at each other coldly.  
  
"I didn't say that." Rukawa said coldly. The two of them glared at each other for a silence moment before Sayuri break the silence.  
  
"Have you got any idea on how to cancel off this engagement?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"No." Rukawa replied. Sayuri looked at the scenery underneath for a while, thinking hard, finally giving up, Sayuri heaved a sigh.  
  
"We will have to get engaged tonight then." Sayuri said. Rukawa looked at her expressionlessly for a while before sitting down in one corner and started drifting off to Lala land. Sayuri stood near the railings and looked at the scenery for a very long time before going back to class.  
  
--  
  
After school, at the practice…  
  
"Look at Rukawa-kun, he is so distracted today. What's wrong with him, Ayako?" Haruko asked as she looked at Rukawa Kaede who is not concentrating on practicing.  
  
"I don't know. But he is not the only one distracted. Sayuri is distracted too. How unusual, both of them are always concentrating more than others but today they are both distracted." Ayako said.  
  
"Yeah, how unusual…" Haruko mumbled, feeling kind of sad as she imagine them to be distracted because of some relationships problems.  
  
--  
  
After practice…  
  
"Weird, why isn't that kitsune staying back today? He had finally realized that no matter how hard he tries, he will still lose to the tensai?" Sakuragi asked as Rukawa walked out of the changing room in his school uniform. Mitsui smiled and left the changing room too. Running to catch up with Rukawa Kaede, he managed to get to him before they reached the school gate.  
  
"Hey Rukawa!" Mitsui shouted. Rukawa turned around and looked at Mitsui.  
  
"Have you and Sayuri got a plan to ruin the engagement?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"No." Rukawa replied coldly. Just as they reached the school gate, they saw two limos parked in front of the school, one of them is the one Mitsui and Sayuri arrive at school in. The door of the other limo opened and Rukawa's nanny got out of it.  
  
"Young Master, we have to hurry home to get you changed before the going to the party. Where is Miss?" The nanny asked. Just then, Yuki and Sayuri arrived at the school gate. The nanny smiled and rushed up to Yuki.  
  
"Hurry up, miss, you have to get home to change before the party." The nanny said.  
  
"Oh, okay. This is Asagiri Sayuri." Yuki said, introducing Sayuri to the nanny as the nanny looked at Sayuri curiously.  
  
"Miss Asagiri. Nice to meet you! Wait a minute! Ah! Miss Asagiri, young master's new fiancée!" The nanny exclaimed, looking shocked.  
  
"Got to go. See you later." Sayuri said, immediately get into the limo before the chauffeur came out to open the door for her. Mitsui opened the door and got in too. And the next second, the limo hit the road at a very high speed.  
  
--  
  
"Sayuri! You are finally back. Quick, go and change now, the guests will be arriving very soon." Mrs. Asagiri said, pushing Sayuri, who had just entered the big main hall that was decorated grandly and elegantly for the party, to the staircase, up it, and down the hallway leading to her room. Once inside Sayuri's room, Mrs. Asagiri took the gown, which is lying on Sayuri's bed, hand it to Sayuri and pushed her into the bathroom.  
  
It took Sayuri a long while before finally figure out how to wear the dress. It's a halter-neck dress, held up by two strings tied into a butterfly-knot (the way shoelaces are tied), it's black in colour and made of silk, it has a low v-cut in front and there's a rather high slit at the right side of the dress. After putting the dress on with much difficulty because Sayuri seldom wear dresses, or to be more precise, NEVER wore dresses since the age of three, and thus not very familiar with how to wear a dress, she looked into the mirror at her own reflection and gasped.  
  
The dress fit her very well, so well that it totally hugs her body, showing the perfect curve of her body, which is always hidden behind the loose t- shirts she wears. What she don't like is the v-cut, it is too low and exposing too much flesh for her liking. The slit by the side is high, but luckily for Sayuri, she is tall and her legs are long, so the slit only reach up to eight inches above her knee, which is around twelve or more for shorter girls. She looked sexy.  
  
+But… I'm not sexy. No, no way. I am not sexy. There must be something very wrong with this mirror. No one ever commented that I am sexy. Not a single soul. Pretty? Yes, lots of people say so, but not sexy. + Sayuri thought as she opened the bathroom door and got out of the bathroom. Stepping outside the bathroom, Sayuri felt a chill run down her spine. It's now that she noticed her back is bare, from the neck all the way down to the waist.  
  
"Come, sit down here, dear." Mrs. Asagiri said, smiling at her. Sayuri walked over to the rarely used dressing table and sat down on the chair right in front of the dressing table.  
  
"You looked so beautiful today." Mrs. Asagiri said, started combing Sayuri's hair. Sayuri stared blankly at the table and said nothing. After around half an hour of not saying a word and let Mrs. Asagiri do whatever she wants to her hair and face, Sayuri looked at the mirror and once again gasped. Now with some light makeup and her hair untangled at the ends, she looked beautiful.  
  
"Just a few more accessories and you will be perfect!" Mrs. Asagiri said, taking out a jewelry box and helped Sayuri put on a pair of earrings and a necklace. Mrs. Asagiri looked at Sayuri for quite some time then got a silver chained belt. She got Sayuri to stand up and hang that belt slanted on Sayuri's waist.  
  
"You looked terrific!" Mrs. Asagiri said, leading Sayuri out of the room.  
  
"Er… What will happen later?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"We will announce your engagement and then you youngsters will go to the gym. There will be a party there for you teenagers. We don't want to bore all of you out." Mrs. Asagiri said.  
  
"The gym? Where the basketball court is? What did you do to that court?" Sayuri asked.  
  
"Don't worry, we just decorate it a bit. Your basketball court will be back to normal after tonight, dear." Mrs. Asagiri said, smiling. Sayuri nodded and walked over to the stairs. The guests have arrived, walking down the stairs; Sayuri attracted a lot of attention mainly because of the dress she is wearing.  
  
"Who is that girl?" Mitsui asked; narrowing his eyes as he watched Sayuri descended the stairs.  
  
"Sayuri." Yuki replied. Sayuri walked over to them. Mitsui's jaw dropped immediately.  
  
"Nice dress." Yuki said, smiling. Yuki is wearing a sexy yet elegant dress.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Sayuri asked, looking at Mitsui who is focusing his eyes on her front.  
  
"You are sexy." Mitsui commented, taking his eyes off what he was focusing on. Mitsui wore a dark purple shirt with a few buttons unbuttoned, showing his muscles, with a pair of black pants. He is attractive; some girls around them are looking at him, nearly drooling.  
  
"Where's Kae-chan?" Yuki asked, looking around. Rukawa stood near the table of food, drinking a glass of orange juice. The three of them walked over to him. Rukawa put down the glass and looked at Sayuri with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Who is she?" Rukawa finally said, after eyeing Sayuri for quite some time.  
  
"You can't recognize her?" Yuki asked, surprised.  
  
"For your info, I am Asagiri Sayuri, your so-called fiancée, although both of us are unwilling parties." Sayuri said, glaring at Rukawa. Rukawa raised an eyebrow but remained as expressionless as he always is. Sayuri rolled her eyes, she dislikes Rukawa Kaede and yet now he is her fiancé. Though she would not want to admit, she could not take her eyes off Rukawa, he is very attractive wearing a black chiffon (see through silk) shirt that showed Rukawa's six pack a little unclear behind the chiffon made black shirt and a pair of black pants. Yuki and Mitsui had both suddenly disappeared when Sayuri finally managed to take her eyes off Rukawa.  
  
"Finish looking?" Rukawa asked, looking at Sayuri. Sayuri blushed slightly but managed to glare coldly at him.  
  
"I wasn't looking at anything." Sayuri said.  
  
"You were staring at me just now." Rukawa said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I'm not!" Sayuri said, trying to keep her voice down.  
  
"You were." Rukawa said.  
  
"No." Sayuri said, glaring at Rukawa with the meanest, coldest, sharpest glare she can.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What are the two of you talking about?" Yuki asked, suddenly reappearing with Mitsui.  
  
"Sound more like quarreling over who's right and who's wrong to me." Mitsui said, smiling.  
  
"None of your business." Sayuri snapped, shooting a cold look at Mitsui.  
  
"Shhh…" Yuki mumbled under her breath. They stopped talking and turned to look at the stairs where Mr. and Mrs. Asagiri stood on a platform in the middle of the stairs.  
  
"We are very honored to have all of you to come to our little housewarming party. We are pleased to announce that a very delightful news. Our daughter and Mr. Rukawa's son, Rukawa Kaede, will be engaged tonight. The young couple will have their wedding as soon as they complete schooling." Mr. Asagiri said. Everyone started applauding. Mrs. Asagiri signaled Sayuri and Rukawa to join them on the platform. Reluctantly, Sayuri and Rukawa walked to the platform. The applause became louder and finally died after around a full minute of applause.  
  
"We had arranged another place for youngsters here to go to, which is our humble gym. Let this little party begin." Mr. Asagiri said, smiling. The music started and everyone started dancing. The teenagers left the hall and went to the gym. The gym is redecorated to resemble a disco. The neon colored lights kept spinning and shining and various parts of the gym, causing it kind of dizzy to look at.  
  
"This is a basketball court!" Yuki exclaimed.  
  
"Why on earth must they decorate this court into a disco?" Mitsui asked, looking at Sayuri.  
  
"How would I know? I already knew just now when I was changing. Your mom said that she don't want to bore us youngsters." Sayuri said, rolling her eyes. Rukawa glared at those people dancing on the basketball court and his blood pressure nearly shot all the way up when he saw some jerks smoking and dumping the cigarette butts on the floor.  
  
"Let's dance. Don't sit around here. We can't exactly stop them from dancing and throwing cigarette butts around. Later, I will stay to help clean up." Yuki said, smiling, putting a hand on Sayuri's shoulder. Sayuri nodded and was being steered to the dancing area. Rukawa and Mitsui followed behind the two girls. Mitsui and Yuki started dancing immediately, as if they are born to dance. Sayuri and Rukawa got off the dance floor and sat down on the couches by the side of the gym. A waiter stopped in front of them and put a rack of test tubes filled with multi colour liquid.  
  
"Wait…" Sayuri said but the waiter had walked away.  
  
"What is this?" Rukawa asked, looking at the test tubes.  
  
"How would I know?" Sayuri asked, leaning forward to get a test tube. Rukawa's eyes widens as he saw what he was not supposed to see and turned to look at other places.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Sayuri asked while sniffing the test tube to see if it's safe to drink it.  
  
"Are you aware that you are wearing too little?" Rukawa asked, after a moment of silence.  
  
"I know I'm wearing too little." Sayuri said, suddenly realizing what Rukawa meant, Sayuri used her hand to cover over the low v-cut and glared at Rukawa. Rukawa rolled his eyes and reached for a test tube, pouring the liquid down without any thoughts. Seeing Rukawa drink it with such ease, Sayuri poured the liquid down her throat too.  
  
Author's notes: Okay, so what will happen next? Give me some suggestions please!!!!!! Hum… Maybe I will rate it R for the next chap…( 


	8. Day after engagement

Standard disclaimer applied  
  
Thanks for the reviews. I don't really want to make any reader feel bad for not reviewing. I am just kind of disappointed that hardly anyone wants to review. And I know that this plot is real old. I will try my best to be more creative. Chapter 8  
  
Feeling the sizzling hot liquid traveling down his throat, Rukawa saw that Sayuri had poured the liquid into her mouth too. A dizzy feeling overwhelmed him and suddenly, he wanted to vomit. Trying to swallow whatever that he is about to vomit out back down, Rukawa put his head in his hands and started hugging his head because of the headache he had after drinking the liquid in the test tube.  
  
"Why don't the two of you go and dance?" Yuki asked, appearing again with Mitsui. Both of them are sweating due to dancing. Mitsui looked at the test tube and took one to drink.  
  
"What's that?" Yuki asked, looking at the test tube too.  
  
"Alcohol. Strong alcohol." Mitsui said, after pouring down the liquid into his throat.  
  
"Alcohol? Well, better not drink too much. There's still school tomorrow and alcohol sometimes will cause you to do some irrational things." Yuki said, taking a testing sip of the test tube alcohol.  
  
"Don't worry too much. Just enjoy ourselves." Mitsui said, drinking another test tube full of alcohol. Yuki shook her head and sat down beside her brother.  
  
"What's wrong with you, Kae-chan?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Headache." Rukawa replied after a long while.  
  
"I think we better go home." Yuki suggested.  
  
"Let's go and dance. This song is a nice one. He can sleep in one of the guest rooms. There are plenty of guest rooms here. Sayuri, get Rukawa to one of the guest rooms." Mitsui said, pulling Yuki away for more dancing. Sayuri nodded and stood up. Not a very good drinker, Sayuri felt a little dizzy too. Sayuri scooped that half-conscious Rukawa up, placed one of Rukawa's arms around her shoulder and started dragging him out of the gym.  
  
"Can you walk on your own?" Sayuri asked, feeling rather hard to get Rukawa out of the gym because Rukawa rather heavy for her. Rukawa did not reply but staggered a few steps towards the gym door. Sayuri support Rukawa with one hand on his arm to prevent him from falling while she herself walked in some sort of a zigzag path because of dizziness.  
  
--  
  
After having some hard time trying to get up the stairs at the back of the kitchen, Sayuri and Rukawa finally made their way to the floor with all the guest rooms. They went into one and Rukawa fell onto the bed immediately. Sayuri sat on the other side of the bed, feeling extremely dizzy. His face flushing red, Rukawa hiccupped and tried to look at Sayuri. He managed to get himself up and started advancing towards Sayuri with his eyes narrowed, trying to see Sayuri.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Sayuri asked; noticing Rukawa is getting closer and closer to her. Without replying, Rukawa kissed her on the lips. Sayuri's eyes widened and is too surprise to do anything. Rukawa slipped his tongue between Sayuri's lips before she could say anything else. Sayuri tried to push Rukawa away but after a few invalid attempts, she forgot about struggling. Instead, she gave in and started a little swordplay with Rukawa using her tongue. Rukawa moves away from Sayuri for a brief moment, as if considering what to do next. He leaned forward again and pushed Sayuri down into a lying position and started kissing her neck and licking her neck with his tongue. Sayuri ran her fingers through Rukawa's hair and suddenly decided she wanted to take charge because she flipped herself from underneath Rukawa to above him and started unbuttoning his shirt. Surprised by the sudden move, Rukawa looked blank for a moment before slipping his hands around Sayuri's neck and started untying the knot. Just as Rukawa finished untying the knot behind Sayuri's neck that held up the whole dress, Sayuri got his shirt off him too. The dress dropped, revealing a naked Sayuri.  
  
--  
  
Opening her eyes, Sayuri stared at the ceiling. She turned to her side and was surprised to see a naked Rukawa lying beside her. Rukawa opened his eyes and caught Sayuri staring at him. Still not very awake, Rukawa got himself into a sitting position.  
  
"Where am I?" Rukawa asked, looking at the unfamiliar surrounding around him.  
  
"One of the guest room, I guess." Sayuri replied, hiding herself underneath the blanket and trying to put on her clothes under the blanket at the same time. Rukawa turned his attention to Sayuri who is trying her best to get herself clothed underneath the blanket for a while before he finally realized that he is naked and what must have happened last night.  
  
"What did we do last night?" Rukawa asked, started putting on his clothes too.  
  
"Not very sure. Just treat it as we fell asleep on the same bed with no clothes on and nothing else happened, okay?" Sayuri said, getting out from underneath the blanket in her dress. Rukawa nodded and started putting on his pants. Sayuri looked around the room and finally found a clock.  
  
"It's seven o'clock. I'm going back to my room. Continue sleeping if you want to. I will get Mitsui to lend you a set of school uniform." Sayuri said before getting out of the room. Rukawa got out of the bed and started folding the blanket while staring into space. Walking across the room, Rukawa went into the bathroom and started splashing water onto his face.  
  
The door of the room opened, Yuki and Mitsui walked into the room. Rukawa got out of the bathroom just as Yuki was about to barged in.  
  
"Finally found you. This house has got so many guest rooms. Hisashi and I had been looking for you for several hours." Yuki said.  
  
"Hisashi?" Rukawa mumbled, looking at his sister with questioning eyes.  
  
"I will get you a set of school uniform, Rukawa. I think Sayuri might have a spare set of school uniform too, Yuki." Mitsui said, ignoring what Rukawa had mumbled.  
  
--  
  
"Had you read the newspaper this morning? Rukawa Kaede is engaged with that bitch in the basketball team." A girl said to another girl. Ryota and Sakuragi walked past the two girls and overheard their conversation.  
  
"Give me the newspaper!" Sakuragi shouted, snatching over the newspaper from the girls. Ryota and Sakuragi stared at the newspaper front page in disbelieve.  
  
"Kitsune is engaged with that Sayuri!!!" Sakuragi exclaimed.  
  
"They are engaged last night. No wander Rukawa Kaede left the gym immediately after practice. He usually stays back to practice after the practice." Ryota said. Just then, a limo stopped in front of them and Mitsui, Sayuri, Yuki and Rukawa got out of it.  
  
"KITSUNE!!!!!!!" Sakuragi shouted and head butted Rukawa Kaede before anyone could react.  
  
"Do 'aho." Rukawa mumbled, rubbing his forehead where there is a swollen lump.  
  
"Sakuragi Hanamichi, why are you so angry?" Mitsui asked, puzzled. Sakuragi glared at Mitsui and hand him the newspaper. Mitsui looked at the front page of the paper and started laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" Sakuragi asked, still fuming and glaring at Rukawa.  
  
"You should be happy that Rukawa is engaged. It means that he is no longer an obstacle for you and Haruko is all yours." Mitsui said, smiling.  
  
"He is not an obstacle, I am the tensai and I can always let Haruko realize that I am the one who truly loves her. The point is, by doing this others will thought that kitsune is just trying to make it easier for me to get Haruko to love me. I don't want that! And Haruko will be very sad and depressed if she knew about this stupid engagement thing. I don't want to see her cry!" Sakuragi shouted, and continued to glare at Rukawa.  
  
"Ohaiyo!!!" Haruko's cheerful voice caused Sakuragi to jump in surprise.  
  
"What's on the newspaper today?" Haruko asked, taking that newspaper in Sakuragi's hand and started reading the front page. She dropped the newspaper onto the floor, a mixture of shock and disbelieve written all over her face.  
  
"Haruko." Sakuragi started saying, putting a consoling hand on Haruko's shoulder.  
  
"Rukawa-kun is engaged with Sayuri?" Haruko asked, looking around at Sakuragi, Ryota, Mitsui, Yuki and finally Rukawa and Sayuri. Tears started to fill her eyes. Rukawa rolled his eyes and began walking away.  
  
"Kitsune! Where do you think you are going? Can't you see that Haruko is very sad because of you?" Sakuragi shouted, stopping Rukawa.  
  
"None of my business." Rukawa replied, continued to walk away. Seeing Rukawa walking away, Haruko started crying, tears rolling down her cheeks like streams.  
  
"What do you mean by none of your business, Kitsune!" Sakuragi shouted, head butting Rukawa.  
  
"Haruko, why are you crying?" Yuki asked, trying to console Haruko. Haruko did not reply but just kept on crying.  
  
"She likes your brother." Mitsui explained, shaking his head.  
  
"It's none of my business. I did not ask her to cry for me." Rukawa said coldly, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"How can you say that, Kitsune!" Sakuragi exclaimed, ready to give Rukawa a punch in his face.  
  
"STOP!!!" Sayuri shouted. Everyone stopped whatever they are doing and looked at her. Even Haruko stopped crying too.  
  
"Sakuragi, you like Haruko right? Then why on earth are you so angry that Rukawa Kaede is engaged with me? You should be happy. If you don't want Haruko to be sad, you should console her instead of beating Rukawa up that will make her even more upset. Haruko, if you like Rukawa Kaede, tell him, it doesn't matter whether he is engaged or not. If he likes you, he can always cancel whatever engagement. Rukawa Kaede, how can you say such mean things? Do you know what you had said will hurt Haruko's feelings?" Sayuri started her lecture, all the while glaring at Rukawa.  
  
"I agree with Sayuri. The two of you should not fight. Haruko, you don't have cry." Yuki said, looking at the three younger teens.  
  
"Let's go to the gym, I think we attracting too much attention here." Ryota said, seeing a few teachers walking towards them. The rest agreed and they went to the gym. Inside the gym, they sat down in a circle.  
  
"Well, as Sayuri had said just now, this problem can be solved easily. Kaede, do you like Haruko?" Yuki asked.  
  
"No." Rukawa said, matter-of-factly. Haruko bit her lips and looked as if she is about to break into tears again.  
  
"Haruko, do you like Sakuragi?" Ryota asked.  
  
"I don't know. I treat him as my brother, my best friend." Haruko said, looking at Sakuragi.  
  
"Now what?" Mitsui asked, sighing.  
  
"Well, the problem started with Rukawa and Sayuri's engagement, right? So, we will just have to cancel the engagement thing." Ryota suggested.  
  
"No." Rukawa said suddenly.  
  
"You don't want to cancel the engagement?" Mitsui asked, looking at Rukawa. Rukawa's reaction is so sudden that everyone is in a shock mode.  
  
"This has got nothing to do with the engagement." Rukawa reply.  
  
"Huh?" Mitsui and Ryota asked.  
  
"I think he means that with or without the engagement, the problem is there, so by canceling the engagement, the problem will still be unsolved." Sayuri said.  
  
"Okay, so there is no solution to this problem." Mitsui concluded, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Well, if Haruko realized that she likes Sakuragi, then this is solved. Or, maybe one day, Sakuragi does not like Haruko anymore then this is solved." Yuki said, smiling.  
  
"How about the fox?" Sakuragi asked.  
  
"Even if Rukawa Kaede suddenly realized that he likes Haruko, the problem is still there as long as you still like Haruko." Sayuri replied, looking at Sakuragi.  
  
"I think we better get to our classes. Lesson is about to start." Yuki said, looking at her watch.  
  
"Bye." Sayuri said.  
  
"What do you mean by bye?" Mitsui asked.  
  
"The first period today is gym class." Sayuri said, smiled and walked towards the changing room. Rukawa opened his bag and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which turns out to be his timetable and was slightly surprised because he did not remember ever having gym classes, and the reason for his absence in gym class is because he is either still getting to school at that time or at the rooftop happily sleeping. He put the paper back into his bag and started walking towards the changing room too.  
  
"The two of them is in the same class?" Sakuragi asked, with a blank look on his face.  
  
"You probably only know which class Haruko is in." Mitsui said, rolling his eyes. Haruko blushed and escaped from the gym. Seeing Haruko leave the gym, Sakuragi ran after her.  
  
"So is this problem solved?" Ryota asked, confused.  
  
"Don't know." Yuki replied, exiting the gym.  
  
"Anyway, it's none of our business." Mitsui said, getting out of the gym too.  
  
--  
  
In the girls' changing room.  
  
"Oh! Look who's here?" A girl exclaimed as Sayuri entered the changing room.  
  
"The bitch is here!"  
  
"No! The Dracula is here. See the snakes on top of her ugly head?"  
  
Sayuri ignored them and started changing into her gym clothes. Suddenly, a girl poured some gluey thing onto her.  
  
"Oops, sorry!" The girl said with an amused smile. Walking towards the sink to wash away the gluey stuff, Sayuri tripped over someone's leg and fell with a loud thud.  
  
"Oh! The big fat elephant fell down!" The girls started laughing and got out of the changing room. Picking herself up from the floor, Sayuri walked over to the sink and washed away the gluey stuff. When she is done with all the washing, she is ten minutes late for gym. Running into the gym, everyone looked at her as if she is an alien. The teacher glared at Sayuri.  
  
"You are very late! Twenty rounds around the gym! The rest of you gather around me!" The teacher said. A few girls giggled as Sayuri started running around the gym.  
  
--  
  
"Okay, there's still fifteen minutes left, select five girls and five boys and start the basketball match rolling. Sayuri, had you finished with your twenty rounds?" The sensei asked.  
  
"Yes." Sayuri replied, wiping off the sweat on her forehead.  
  
"Well join in the match then, you are a basketball player right?" The sensei said.  
  
"Yes, sensei." Sayuri mumbled, walking onto the court.  
  
"Ready?" The sensei asked, walking towards the center of the court with a basketball in his hand. The students mumbled a yes.  
  
"The tallest boy and girl come here please!" The sensei said. Sayuri walked towards the center. Rukawa who also happened to be the tallest boy, walked towards the center too.  
  
"When I release the ball, the two of you jump and hit it down." The sensei said, Rukawa and Sayuri nodded and looked at each other for a brief second before getting ready to jump. The sensei released the ball and the both of them jumped.  
  
"Rukawa! Rukawa! Rukawa!!!!" The girls shrieked, cheering Rukawa on. Rukawa and Sayuri both touched the ball at the same time, Rukawa being stronger, forced the ball down his side. The ball hit onto the floor and a boy grabbed it and started dribbling towards the basket. The girls are crowded in one corner, all looking at Rukawa with dazed expressions. Sayuri rolled her eyes and started running towards the boy to stop him from scoring. Just as she was about to get to the boy, the boy passed the ball to Rukawa who is behind her. Turning around, Sayuri tried to stop Rukawa, but Rukawa managed to slip past her before she could even start guarding him. Chasing after him, Sayuri leaped up without thinking when she saw Rukawa jumped to shoot the ball. Rukawa stopped halfway and turned his body around to throw the ball towards the basket. Reaching out for the ball, Sayuri fall sideways and accidentally slipped and fell, twisting her ankle in the process.  
  
"Are you okay, Sayuri?" The sensei asked. Sayuri tried to stand up but fell back down because of the pain of her sprained ankle.  
  
"Someone carry her to the sickbay!" The sensei said. Rukawa, who is nearest to Sayuri, squatted down and scoped her up and started walking off the court.  
  
"Continue!" The sensei said, blowing the whistle. The girls started talking among themselves and glaring at Sayuri as Rukawa carry Sayuri out of the gym.  
  
--  
  
In the sickbay.  
  
"It's a very bad sprain. She will not be able to do any intense exercise for a few weeks." The nurse in the sickbay said, wrapping bandages around the sprained ankle.  
  
"A few weeks? But there's a practice match with Ryonan this Saturday!" Sayuri exclaimed.  
  
"You cannot play in that match. It will worsen your situation. You can go now." The nurse said and left Sayuri to treat another injured student.  
  
"It's all your fault!" Sayuri said, glaring at Rukawa.  
  
"It's your own fault that you fall." Rukawa said, rolling his eyes. Sayuri glared at him and attempted to stand up on her own. She stood unsteadily on her not injured foot and started limping out of the room. Rukawa shook his head and slipped his hand under Sayuri's arm, supporting her to prevent her from falling and helped her to walk faster. Sayuri tried to shake his hand off, but Rukawa did not let go.  
  
"I can walk by myself." Sayuri said.  
  
"Yes, but I don't want to be blamed if you fall again." Rukawa said coldly, glaring at Sayuri.  
  
"You actually cared whether you get blamed or not. I'm so surprised." Sayuri said sarcastically.  
  
"Do 'aho." Rukawa mumbled. Sayuri glared at him but did not say anything. The two of them remained silent for the rest of the trip back to class.  
  
Author: This chapter is very messy, hope the next chapter will make sense. 


End file.
